Harry Potter and the End of an Era
by Miranda Flairgold
Summary: AUSequel to Order of the Phoenix & World of War! the gang is back for 7th year. Atlantis, Voldemort, pranks, new era for wizarding kind, death, blood, murder, a spark of light in the sea of darkness, who will triumph? Will NOT be completed
1. Default Chapter

FULL STORY DISCLAIMER: major plot (mystery) throughout the book belongs to Clive Cussler and his book Atlantis Found. I just changed it about a bit and redid it. All HP characters that you can recognize form the books belong to JKR. (thought Voldemort probably belong to Satan)  
  
Do not read this story unless you have read my stories Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the World of War. In that order. If you haven't go read them first, if you have you may proceed, enjoy and remember to REVIEW!  
  
  
  
1 Harry Potter The End of and Era  
  
  
  
A score of people worked in the room hewn into the solid rock. Carving symbols into the walls and painting. All were dressed in red or blue tunics that hung to their knees, cinched at the waist with a tan rope. Over this they each wore a long tan cape, attached at the shoulders by copper clips. On their feet were tan sandals with straps that crossed around their legs up to the knee; most of them wore turquoise and copper ornaments about their necks in tight collars, around their wrists, ankles or foreheads.  
  
The symbols they carved with acid obviously were of great importance, for they were carved with extreme care and delicacy. Each of the carvers had a helper who carried sheets of pale green paper, covered with many tiny lines, appearing to be made form some sort of plant fiber. Upon these sheets were symbols like those on the walls. The carver would look at the sheet and then paint the symbol on the wall with a brownish ink, then this would be carved just enough for some type of rock corroding acid to be painted in on a metal brush.  
  
A small stairway led up into the room, and from it emerged a tall woman carrying a bundle wrapped in gold cloth. All work ceased. The woman was dressed in a pale green tunic that fell five inches past her waist. Under this she wore a longer pale purple tunic that fell down to just past her knees. Both were cinched with a pale purple rope at the waist, on the rope were eight turquoise beads. Everyone bowed to the newcomer. With a kind nod she walked past them to a spot in the center of the room, here on the ground was a disc made of black obsidian, a copper band ran around the outside, in the center were a pair of crossed diamonds drawn in copper, in the space at their joint centers was a small a copper symbol. A circle, around the circle was eight pointed triangles, like the points of a star. Around the entire pedestal were three oval copper dishes, small circles of turquoise and obsidian were attached to the outside and inside of each. A small hole in the base of each dish let whatever liquid was placed inside run out through the bottom and into a small ring that was carved into the obsidian pedestal and ran all the way around just inside the copper rim. She placed the gold wrapped bundle upon this three-inch high pedestal and unwrapped it. In the glow cast by eight flickering torches around the walls the foot high statue gleamed. It was a skull, beautifully carved of black obsidian, it looked almost too perfect to exist, without a single scratch or chip mark on it. She removed the gold wrapping and folded it neatly. For a moment they alls topped, examining the skull, which perfectly resembled a human skull, though larger. Finally she turned and nodded to them before leaving the way she had come. A few moments later a man came up and, in some ancient language, spoke loudly to everyone, the carvers quickly finished and hurried out. Now entered three people dressed in short coppery tunics to the waist and longer silver tunics to their calves. All wore a silver cape decorated with strands of copper beads woven into wondrous patterns. All stared down at the skull for a moment, then each turned to the three people who had entered with them, each of these people held a large plain copper cup. They each took the cup, drank the contents all at the same time. Then they put the cup back and took the knife, then, all at once they began to chant while holding the knife in their left hand above their right palm. As the chant grew louder the three holding the platter shivered, looking terrified. Then the chant ended and all at the same time the three people plunged the knives into their right palms. Three screams echoed about, but each person withdrew the knife and allowed the blood to run out and drip down into one of the three copper dishes about the pedestal. The blood filled the dishes and ran out the bottoms into the cut out. Now just inside the copper rim was a inch deep trough filled with blood. Then the three people behind them came forwards holding white cloths, which were wrapped tightly around the palm, then each person put the entire wounded hand into a thick glove to help stop the blood flow. Three attendants bowed and left with the stone platters, knives, and cups. As they left the last one shifted a large jagged stone until it dropped down into the whole in the floor after him and the jagged edges caught snugly, effectively sealing the three people inside the room. The torches flickered; the two men and one woman lay down in the back behind the skull…and died, having drunken poison just before stabbing themselves. Slowly the torches burned out, and the room plunged into darkness, not to be reopened for eons.  
  
Two days later a gigantic comet struck earth, tidal waves covered the continents, and fires raged, every volcanoes on the planet went off, earth had become hell. Smoke, and ash filled the air. Fish and sea creatures were thrown up onto mountaintops, while whole mountain ranges vanished in minutes, volcanoes rose up to amazing heights then collapsed as the earth's crust rotated and shook, the giant landmass known for so long as Atlantis sank into the sea. The few survivors who escaped the destruction of their world would wander for centuries, thrown back once again to the time of the cave men. An ice age would come and go, yet the descendants of the once enormous empire of Atlantis would persevere, as was the nature of their kind. It would be millions of years before another culture ever rose to challenge the might and glory of the wondrous empire of the people of Atlantis.  
  
**  
  
David Rigand looked out his window; the sky was clear and a gorgeous shade of blue. Checking the time he threw his gear into his old Jeep, kissed his wife goodbye, and drove off up the mountain behind their house.  
  
The lone jeep looked very out of place as it rolled through a deserted mining town. Everything was still, no one lived here anymore, and hadn't for decades. The nearest town was at the base of the mountain, a small ski resort of a town, no one went near the mines, except for David Rigand. At one time this ghost town had boasted a population of three hundred miners and their families, mining gold from the mountains. But the vein had run out and the town had been shut down. The road wound up the mountain, quickly turning from a wide road into a small one and a half lane road that dropped off steeply down the rocky mountainside. The slightest bit of ice made the road so dangerous in the winter that no one in his or her right mind would drive it. Therefore he could only mine in the summer, but that was enough.  
  
Rocks were strewn over the winding road, making everything shifty; the mountain itself was prone to frequent rockslides, which had, over the years, claimed some sixty victims. Finally the jeep came to a halt in front of a pair of huge metal-padlocked doors leading into the mountain and the mines. David opened the doors with a key from his pocket and went in, flicking on the switch, a long string of overhead lights blinked on, leading off down the tunnel. David climbed onto the flat bed of an old cart that still stood on its tracks, put his backpack beside him, and headed off down into the mines.  
  
David Rigand had purchased this portion of the mine thirty years back, two years after it had closed. While looking around he had found a vein of rosy pink quartz overlooked by the gold miners. This type of quartz was very rare and beautiful; over the past thirty years he'd amassed a fortune of nearly five million in the pink quartz from the mine.  
  
David waved the dust away from his face from the dynamite blast. He was always sure to be very careful with his dynamite, simply because of tendency of the mountain to let loose a barrage of rocks for every tiny blast and earth quake that came by. Searching through the gloom he noticed that the blast had opened up the ceiling of the tunnel into what appeared to be a cave. Thinking that maybe it was a unmarked tunnel from another mine level up above he got out a ladder and placed it up into the three by four foot hole in the tunnel roof. Holding a small lamp up above him he climbed up to look inside. Placing a hand on the lip of the opening he tested it, the rock was about two feet thick and solid, no need to fear it breaking.  
  
At first he saw nothing, then in the flickering light of his oil burning lamp he could make out symbols and pictures carved on the walls, truly amazed and breathless with excitement he turned…and found himself looking straight into the hollow eyes of a large skull carved entirely out of black stone. Behind it lay three dead bodies. David stifled a horrified and shocked scream, clamping a hand over his mouth…the same hand that held the lamp. The lamp went crashing down to the floor below and David leaped after it quickly, the room was once again plunged into the darkness it had rested in for untold centuries.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
I know I said this might take weeks, well it didn't. Please review! I love reviews! What do you think? I know it must be a bit confusing, you're probably wondering, and just WHERE do Harry and the rest come in? They'll be here soon I promise! Just REVIEW and tell me what you think so far! 


	2. Chapter 2 Fighting the Darkness

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I know the last chapter was a little odd and this one doesn't seem to have anything to do with it, just be patient okay? Next chapter should be up within a few days if not sooner.  
  
  
  
Chapter 2 Fighting the Dark  
  
Stilgar ran down the alleyway, completely lost, his mother's words running through his head. An explosion off to his left made him dart deeper into the shadows. Go Stil! Don't stop and don't look back, get away! And Stilgar had run, run as fast as he could away from the advancing death eaters that had his family trapped in their basement. Around him the air was thick with smoke, the sky burned orange and red as the entire town went up in flames. Struggling for breath he though he heard someone behind him, turning he tripped and went crashing into some garbage cans. Some shingles fell where he had been standing; a few minutes later there was a roaring crash as the building fell in. The heat was so intense it hurt and the fire was loud it roared around him. Just then the house on his other side seemed to twist sickeningly as half of it collapsed in as a spell blasted away the bottom half. Burning boards fell around him. He could here screams all around and curses being shouted. Suddenly some forms on brooms streaked overhead, Stilgar choked on smoke and recognized their robes, the Order of the Phoenix. He struggles dot stand, just then five death eaters rounded the corner. Before them ran four people, all of them pouring blood from bad wounds, one man was missing an arm. They came to the wall where Stilgar stood and turned, screaming in fear, trying to find a place to hide. All one teenager could do was curl up in a tight ball and scream. "No no no no no no!" He wailed, a huge billowing cloud of smoke and embers engulfed them and his screams turned to whispers. Stilgar pulled his shirt up over his face and kept low, suddenly the smoke cleared with the aid of spells. The five death eaters stood in a line staring down through dark mark masks at their terrified captives.  
  
"Ah another one!' One murmured pointing to Stilgar, who shrank back, his mouth dry with fear. It was happening, it really was, all that they heard in the news, people being hanged, chopped up, it was happening, to him! Somehow it seemed unreal, he'd never thought of himself as a possible victim. A little voice in his head shouted NO this isn't happening, not to you! But it was.  
  
"Five, good we'll each get one to kill." Said a harsh voice form the one who appeared to be in charge, a dark mark was embroidered on each sleeve.  
  
"I thought anyone young enough and in good enough condition to be trained as a future death eater or slave should be taken alive?" Asked another, his voice was slow and stupid.  
  
"Yes…oh yeah, the Lord would be displeased if his orders were not followed. Fine, I still get to kill one of them; we'll take that boy back." He growled, gesturing at Stilgar, they all turned to the others except for one who advanced on Stilgar, wand raised.  
  
"Good evening." Everything stopped, shrieks form the prisoners were heard, Stilgar opened the eyes he hadn't known he'd closed, and wished he hadn't.  
  
Standing in long black robes just behind his death eaters was Voldemort's apprentice, marked by the fact he wore no mask and his robes were covered with tiny ark marks. His face…his nose as flat and snakish, the eyes were faintly red and glowed; his skin was white as bone, even his lips, even his tongue when he spoke.  
  
"Five, one prisoner four to be killed. Use the cruciatus curse for a half hour, then tear them apart." That was it, no hint of mercy or regret as he assigned them their deaths. "That youngster will make an excellent death eater, but first he needs to learn a lesson…use the curse on him for a half hour as well, then bring him the Lord." Just then another group of death eaters passed, Stilgar could see the looks on the faces of eight prisoners of all ages as they were marched to the town center for a special execution by Voldemort's best. All of them were screaming and twisting, trying to free themselves of collars and shackles that burned red hot. The dark lord's apprentice left with them, the death eaters turned back to their prey. High above each of them shot up a dark mark into the sky already filled by hundreds of others. A huge explosion shook the earth and the level of screaming abruptly rose. Stilgar could see through a gap in the fence people being lined up in groups, having their legs broken, then having the curse used on them by death eaters who prolonged the half hours by infrequent rests during which they broke the prisoners fingers or kicked in their ribs. Others were haled up into a tree by their necks of by he metal hooks sunk into their stomachs or ankles.  
  
Suddenly a foot collided with Stilgar's face and tumbled backwards, chains leaped out of a wand and wrapped themselves around his neck and wrists, they burned Stilgar screamed and struggled and they charred his skin, to no avail.  
  
"Crucio!" they all yelled, Stilgar could do nothing but stare at the curse leaping from the wand point towards him, there was nowhere to run, no room to dodge. Suddenly a figure leaped over the wall behind them, a huge gold shield leaped into being and the figure flung itself at the death eaters. It attacked viciously, flipping and whirling, striking out with hands, feet, ropes of lightning, fireballs, and curses. Five minutes later the alley was in utter ruins, the cobblestone street torn to shreds by the violence of the fight. The death eaters lay on the ground motionless. The figure turned back to them, they couldn't see his face for a hood but he wore black pants and shirt and boots with silver runes and trim. From his shoulders hung a huge black hooded cape, attached on each shoulder by a silver clasp. Idly he wiped off a knife on a death eater's body and it vanished up his sleeve, then he lowered the hood.  
  
Stilgar found himself looking into a pair of dazzling emerald eyes; suddenly a wand wipe out and the chains vanished…with the killing of the death eaters the burning had stopped. Then he stopped the blood, mostly, flowing from the stump that had once been the old man's arm.  
  
"Come, The Order of the Phoenix is retaking the town. I'll take you to the evacuee departure area. There you'll be taken the Fortress to have your injuries treated."  
  
"My daughter!" One woman shouted, "where is she?"  
  
"Ma'am everyone is being taken to the Fortress, you'll probably meet her there." Then he turned and lifted them all into the air with a spell, suddenly a broom appeared in his hand and he flew off with them in tow, dodging curses that flew up at them like snowflakes in a storm.  
  
Finally they saw a huge well lit area ahead, people were rushing everywhere and large groups disappearing. They were landed near one of these.  
  
"Faron! Five more here, they're hurt pretty bad," their rescuer paused as he surveyed the lines of people waiting to get out and the order members using portkeys to transport them. "I'll juts take them myself," suddenly a very bright light was everywhere, then they were in a huge cave, people were seated everywhere in chairs.  
  
"You two who are unhurt, please wait here, the rest of you follow me." Two stayed and Stilgar left with the rest, they were led out into another giant cavern, twice as big as the one before. In the back yet another cavern branched off. They were led into here and joined about a hundred and fifty others seated about, waiting for the healers to call them.  
  
A half hour later Stilgar was told to come in, a nurse with blood all over her led him to a wheeled bed and helped him up. She treated the injuries on his neck and wrists, then he was sent back out to the main cavern.  
  
Everywhere along the walls were little rooms with cloth hangings for walls. Stilgar was put into one of these and asked his name, and family members names. Then he was told to wait, if…when they found his family they would bring them to him. He was given a number and told to remember it, 234. Then he was left alone.  
  
**  
  
Harry made nine trips to the town and back, then went into the healer's area and began to help heal people. Because of his skill he was put in the room for those with the worst injuries. Reattaching limbs, someone with a rope with a hook on the end sunk all the way through them, another without five square inches of unburned skin on him…he saw it all and tried his best to help them. Finally he was sent back out. Harry hurried over to the office where every person brought in was organized. For those that came single this was the only way to find their families. Each of the little rooms had a number, each family had a room. Currently there were 288 rooms and 390 people in them; another 172 uninjured were waiting in the entrance room. When a family member was found and healed and put in a room the uninjured or only slightly hurt family member who had been waiting was told that someone for their family had been found and joined that person (s) in their room. Most of the people in the main hall were sleeping, better for healing, but those in the entrance room were awake and waiting for news on how their loved ones had fared. All dead were sent to another cave next door to await identification by family members, probably not for a few days. Each patient who was conscious was asked their name first and given a name tag before being healed. The people were healed in groups of fifteen, fifteen in the room at a time. Harry took the job of getting them to the right room with their family afterwards.  
  
Harry hurried into the entrance room, clipboard in his hand, ignoring his bloodstained robes. When he entered everyone went silent, all hoping that their name would be called and they would be reunited with a family member.  
  
"Mrs. Anderson?" A middle-aged woman in the back stood up quickly and hurried forward. "We have your daughter, your husband's in surgery. Miss Sedro?" A young girl looking to be about nine came running up. "Anita Walker? Clarice Towning? Jeff Hamis?" The three people came up to him, the others slumped a little.  
  
"How long until we can go home?" A man with soot in his hair asked.  
  
"The town is still burning, and there's still over fifty people out there somewhere. There's still a lot of heavy fighting going on." This was greeted with worried murmurs.  
  
"Is your facility here big enough?"  
  
"Barely, the Order has taken heavy losses over the past month, there's only four patrols here in England at the moment. Aside from your town Faerlow was also attacked. Everyone form that town is in the other wing. It could take days to finish healing everyone and identifying the bodies."  
  
"What about our families?!"  
  
"Patience, we're doing everything we can to save them. Sometime tomorrow morning everyone will be asked to help identify the bodies. The fighting in the town should be over by midday tomorrow, then the repair and fire fighting crews will really be able to work." Harry responded, not taking insult at the man's anger, he was worried about his family, that was all. Harry nodded to the five and they followed him out. Harry showed them each to the small rooms where their family member(s) were, and then he headed back to surgery.  
  
Stilgar was waiting quietly, watching everything going on in the room with interest. It was very noisy, but the healers all seemed to know what they were doing. Then he spotted Harry pushing a bed with someone lying on it towards him. Stilgar almost stood, but Harry gestured for him to stay down as he pushed Stilgar's eight-year-old sister into the small room beside Stilgar's bed.  
  
"Is she okay?"  
  
"Broken leg, two broken ribs, burns on one cheek, but she should be fine. She's under a sleeping spell right now though. She'll wake up in the morning around eight." Harry assured the younger boy.  
  
"Has anyone found my mum and dad?" Stilgar asked, looking up hopefully.  
  
"Yes, your dad's being healed right now, we haven't located your mother yet. But we don't have every person here identified either. Someone should bring your dad over in about a half hour."  
  
"Okay, thanks Harry."  
  
"Anytime Stil, see you." Harry turned and hurried out and back to the entrance chamber. Stilgar sat cross-legged waiting, watching his sisters even breathing and worrying over his parents.  
  
**  
  
Harry collapsed into a chair as the rest of the council came in. This was one of the worst attacks yet.  
  
"Alright everyone, the fighting is almost over, there's still a small pocket of death eaters holding out on us but…" Miranda paused as did everyone, receiving a message form Sirius. "I appears they've been "dealt with", the repair crews?"  
  
"They're all inside the town, it's tough work, the death eaters really dud a number on it." Mundungus reported in.  
  
"Voldemort took a portkey out just before we raised the wards. He took fifteen prisoners with him. There's still thirty eight missing besides them." Harry blinked and tried to stay awake, he'd been up since dawn two days ago and had spent most of it healing and fighting.  
  
"There are no plans to attack for the next few weeks so we should have enough time to work on the towns." Sarlan supplied.  
  
"Alright then, Green patrol and Maroon, you're on vacation for two weeks, I suppose you're leaving Harry?" Miranda asked him.  
  
"Yes, but first I'll drop in with my spies and see if they can't root out anything new, I'll be in touch." She nodded and he left.  
  
**  
  
Harry had been spending the summer on a tropical island Sirius's family had owned for eight generations. It was warm with perfect waves for surfing or just swimming. And he was the only human on it. When he got back he was greeted by a hoot from Hedwig as she soared overhead and a hiss from Kino, a friendly fifteen-foot long water snake who lived in the stream that ran by the large house. Harry toppled into bed, absolutely exhausted.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Please Review! A nice LONG chapter! I'm aiming for longer chapter sin this story. 


	3. Chapter 3 Skulls and Symbols

Thank you to all who reviewed! This is a nice long chapter, hope you like it.  
  
  
  
Chapter 3 Skulls and Symbols  
  
  
  
Ria Evenstoke examined the mountain terrain as she waited for the others to arrive. She had been sent here to investigate some strange writings found in a secret chamber in a mine. Eager to see them she'd rushed out immediately, the rest of her crew would be arriving tomorrow to help out. Some professional archeologist had also been brought in to aid; apparently there were bodies and a weird skull in the chamber as well.  
  
Ria had never been to the mountains before, growing up in new York she'd moved out as soon as possible and gone to Africa to work on some cave paintings that seemed to have a form of written language in them. From there she'd traveled the world, but she'd never really been up on a mountain. The sky was a brilliant blue and off in the distance a lake glimmered. Finally she heard the approach of an automobile and turned in time to see a rather beat up mini van come around the corner, followed by an old dark blue jeep that looked like it had seen better days. Out of the jeep jumped a middle-aged man with tanned skin and messy brown hair. From the van emerged another man with dark gray hair and a slightly crooked nose.  
  
"Ah you must be Dr. Evenstoke, Dr. Adam Gradar." The gray haired man said, offering his hand.  
  
"Hello, thank you for coming, I'm David Rigand," said the rather short brown haired man; he looked very excited and a little nervous.  
  
"Can we head straight up to the mine?" Ria asked him.  
  
"Of course, we'd best take the jeep though, it'll be safer for the mountain road." Ria and Adam both loaded their gear into the jeep; Rigand's wife came out of the house to see them off.  
  
"The rail cart can go anywhere through here, it's great for moving things about." Rigand explained, the small miner was in his element showing his guests about his mine. "Here's the site, it's okay the ladder will hold, just up through there. Be careful when you climb off the ladder, go to the left, the artifacts are on the other side." He instructed as Dr. Gradar climbed up, holding up a lamp.  
  
Once inside they set up electric light to shine on the walls.  
  
"Incredible," these inscriptions, they're unlike anything I've ever seen. Ria murmured to the other two as she examined the writing. "I've seen just about every known language, modern and otherwise, but nothing like this."  
  
"Do you think you can decipher it?" Dr. Gradar asked as he bent to study the obsidian skull, careful not to touch it.  
  
"Well it's not pictographic, not even remotely, 28 characters as far as I can…no make that thirty. Then an entirely different set, numbers maybe? Ten of them, well it appears to be alphabetic. I'll take some photos and copy some of it down and run it through the computers back at the lab, it may just be really arcane. Then again it could be fake."  
  
"Why do you say that? Dr. Gradar asked, indicating to Rigand to hand him a brush so he could remove the dust that caked everything.  
  
"It's a very simple language, just lines basically. They must have used some sort of acid to engrave it, and there's traces of something…perhaps some primitive ink." She stepped back and took her camera out of her pack and began to take pictures while Rigand moved the light from one spot to the next.  
  
"These bodies are incredibly old, they must have worn a lot of copper and turquoise in life, there's small ornaments scattered about them. This skull however, is the most amazing piece of artwork I've ever seen. Obsidian is very difficult to carve, it breaks easily, yet this tone is perfectly smooth, not a chip mark on it. Rigand-" He was cut off as suddenly the ground shook and a rumble of rolling rocks echoed about.  
  
"Oh damn, rockslide, I'll go see if it's blocked the entrance." Rigand said and climbed down the ladder, a few moments later they heard the cart starting up as he rode it out of the mine.  
  
Rigand was back in a few minutes. They heard the cart approach and stop, and then hurried footsteps and Rigand's head appeared through the hole in the floor.  
  
"Bad news folks, the entrance is blocked, but my wife knows where we are and if I'm not back by the time the suns goes down she calls in he-" he stumbled and nearly fell as a huge blast shook the mountain. "That was dynamite!" he shouted as dust fell from the ceiling. They could here rumbles and crashes of cave ins throughout the mines.  
  
"It was WHAT?" Gradar asked back in astonishment.  
  
"Dynamite, there's someone down here using dynamite. That was a big blast, fools could have collapsed ever damn mine on the mountain!" The stocky little miner said, enraged.  
  
"Did it collapse? Are we stuck in here even worse? Do you think…" Ria trailed off.  
  
"That they, whoever they are, caused the rockslide with another bunch of dynamite?" Gradar asked, "Rigand do you own all the mines?"  
  
"No, just this one, it's called the Pluto, there's also Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter went out when an underground river swallowed it, it's right next door. Saturn is on the other side of the mountain. They're both own by some bug company, though I'm not sure if they even use the mines for anything, I've never seen them go in."  
  
"Can you hear something?" Ria asked suddenly, they all went silent, from far away, steadily growing in volume; they could here a rushing noise, it sounded vaguely like…"water?" Ria asked softly.  
  
"Rigand didn't you say that the Jupiter was flooded out?" Gradar asked, staring down through the hole.  
  
"Yeah, not all of it mind you, just the lower levels…do you think the dynamite blast tore through form those level to here?" He asked suddenly in horror.  
  
"Is that possible? I mean the dynamite would have to be placed in the water." Gradar said, the rushing was getting louder.  
  
"Whether it's possible or not I think it just happened." Ria whispered, clutching her camera, her eyes wide with fear. Suddenly water began to come running up the mine, they could see it surround the cart down below in the mine. The level was rising fast, in seconds it was five feet deep and still rising. "Oh shit," she whispered, backing up against the wall.  
  
The mine tunnel was large, seven feet high by five feet wide, but soon it was full of water and the water was starting to pool in the bottom of the chamber.  
  
"Rigand is there a door? Something to seal it shut with?" Gradar asked, Rigand frowned, then pointed to a board he'd used to hoist their equipment up. Gradar grabbed the board and tried to cover the hoe with it, but it was too small and force of the rushing water below ripped it from his hands. The water kept coming in.  
  
They backed up against the curved walls, trying to keep away form the rising water. Finally they felt it pool about their ankles, it was cold, nearly cold enough to become ice.  
  
"There's a great underground cavern back under the Jupiter, four underground rivers flow into it, and the pressure is enormous. Usually it just flows out through another underground river, which comes out in an old reservoir. But the three towns around the reservoir were closed down, and the railway had no sue for it. It collapsed form disrepair eight months ago. It collapsed inwards though and mudslides sealed it shut along with tons of rock and cement form the reservoir wall, then the hillside collapsed around it, there's no way the water could have gotten through. It must have been building up pressure all these months in the cavern. That blast blew out one wall and now it's coming up through here." Rigand gasped as the water reached their knees.  
  
"The people who set off the dynamite, they must have been killed. Any chance of getting out of here?" Gradar asked.  
  
"Can you swim a mile underwater?" Rigand asked, looking desperate, the water was at their waists, suddenly the lights went out, dropping the room into pitch blackness. Shivering, with hypothermia setting in the three huddled in the dark, feeling the water rising about them, numbing them completely.  
  
"Look! Down there in the tunnel, do you see a light?" Ria suddenly shouted, sure enough, in the dark they could no see and faint glow coming form down in the water, getting steadily brighter. They all backed up a bit more as the glow got even brighter and suddenly something came up out of the water, in the glow cast by it's large dive light they saw the person stand up and grin a them.  
  
"It appears I have arrived in the proverbial nick of time."  
  
**  
  
Harry bent over the shimmering caldron, it was early morning and he had been up since yesterday at noon working on this potion. He'd slept for sixteen hours and still had a slight headache. The days and nights spent helping the order had taken a harsh toll, none of the people had had a blocking spell, agonized thoughts whirling through your mind or screaming and sobbing were enough to drive anyone mad, multiply that by the number of people rescued, 654 in all, and you've got one major headache. In the end it had been all he could do not to pass out form it all. Harry was very sensitive to magical vibrations, and he'd been able to feel small amounts of other's pain or worry, it was rather demoralizing to have it pressing in one you from all sides hour after hour.  
  
The potion Harry was working on was going well, though since it was a new invention of his he couldn't be sure. He'd combined laxatives with pain and mental stress relievers with some healing substances and a special potion of his own making that had extreme effects on numbing subconscious pain to create this. A potion that could, if it worked right, awaken many of the people now in deep comas form excessive exposure to the cruciatus curse, mindless pain filled shells like Neville's parents might just have another chance with this. But by his calculations it wouldn't be ready for about two months yet. Finally deciding that the rather noxious fumes weren't helping his headache any Harry turned down the fire a bit and went outside.  
  
Harry relaxed on the beach outside the cabin on the island, reading a book on phoenixes and sipping lemonade. He'd finished his homework in record time and he didn't especially want to go back to work on the elementals just yet. Finally he found the passage he was looking for.  
  
  
  
From the time they are laid phoenix eggs need to be incubated at 100 degrees, Fahrenheit, for a month. The more gold flecks on the egg the closer it is to hatching.  
  
  
  
Harry marked the page and closed the book; he put his lemonade back in the cabin and went into the cellar, which contained his potion lab as well as a bunch of portkeys. Harry picked the one off a shelf with his family crest on it, the circle with the eight points radiating from it in silver with a pair of gold griffins on either side. Carrying it he called Hedwig and caught her on his arm.  
  
"Incantatem," he felt the familiar jerk and second later he was standing in front of the gates to Potter manor.  
  
The Potter manor was huge, surrounded by a spiked black iron fence that was covered with black iron rods twisted into runes and weird animals. He touched the black box next to the gate with a hand print indentation in it and the gates swung open. Inside was a path of ground up seashells with flowers on both sides leading up to the house itself. The Potter family mansion was made from white stone flecked with silver, around the top were two gutters, one for water that always kept itself clean and the other planted with huge long trailing vines that had feathery purple flowers from February to September. The door s were a shiny wood with a goldish tint, Harry pushed them open and walked into the entrance room. Two stairways led up, one of his left and the other on his right, both ending on a large balcony overhead, below the balcony were the great door leading to the dining room and ground floor. Harry took the left staircase to the balcony. From here long hallways lit by huge windows went off to his right and left while ahead of him a third hallway led straight in. Harry took the middle hallway all the way to the back of the manor and then turned left, the entire left end of the manor was one huge tower, he climbed up to the top set of rooms which were his.  
  
Harry came to a wall hanging with a griffin on it, "Cornish Pixie," the hanging turned into a doorway.  
  
Inside was a large waiting room with tall chairs along the walls. From here there were three choices, the living room, the office, and Harry's room upstairs. Harry went into the office.  
  
Inside was a huge office, rose wood floors and desk, a dark red carpet on the floor, Tiger was snoozing in a pool of sunshine and opened one eye as Harry entered, Harry went over to the fire place in which there was a large metal bowl sitting. Inside the bowl was an egg. A phoenix egg to be exact, that Harry had found while helping a patrol that was gathering information on Voldemort's Honshu base. Voldemort had killed both the parents and the other egg, but Harry had saved this one. He was relieved to see that over the past three days the number of gold flecks and grown, until there was little white, as he watched one white sliver slowly began to turn to gold. He wasn't sure how old it was, but it would be hatching sometime soon, it would be completely gold by tomorrow evening, then add five days.  
  
Assured by the amount of white that it wouldn't hatch in his absence Harry went to a painting of the manor hung on a wall in the living room.  
  
"Decendius," it opened up to show what looked like a closet, Harry stepped in and suddenly it winked out of existence as the door shut.  
  
It reappeared again behind a similar portrait in the kitchens Harry stepped out and smiled as he was the three house elves, Gady, Cobby, and Lismy sipping tea.  
  
"Master Harry! What can we do for you sir?" Gady asked him, jumping up.  
  
"Some lunch would be nice Gady, thank you." Harry said, smiling at the little elf who went scurrying back into another room and emerged in minutes with a plate with a sandwich and an orange on it. Harry thanked her again and left the way he had come.  
  
Back in his office Harry went over and sat down by the fire, reading further in the book.  
  
Once the egg is entirely gold it takes five days until it hatches-  
  
  
  
Harry was cut off as an owl flew in with a letter bearing the Phoenix's seal.  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
We have received news that Voldemort is concentrating enormous amounts of attention on an old mine in the United States. We are not sure why or what he wants there, but it is in the general area of one of the eight points from which all magic flows. We are very worried that he might try to destroy many of these points and then influence the others so that none but himself and his people have any magic. As you might guess this si of great concern. The general public doesn't know anything about this, they all believe that magic was in your blood, it's not, well not all of it. Wizards and witches have an aura with unique attunement to these sources of magic. We don't know who put these things where they are or even what they are. Hundreds have tried to find them and failed, those that have…well they lost their minds and souls, rather like a dementors kiss. It has long been believed that the people of Atlantis, the true first wizards, put them there shortly before whatever it was that destroyed their world happened. It's a very long theory. In short we're sending in four people form the special projects division, we'd like you to go with them to help out. This will probably take two days, no more. Owl me back with your answer.  
  
Sirius.  
  
Harry sighed quietly, well the egg wasn't even completely gold yet, so that was five days plus a few, of course he'd go.  
  
**  
  
Ria gaped in shock at the figure who had emerged form the dark, certain that this was some figure come from her hypothermic imagination.  
  
"My name is Harry Potter and I will be your guide on your way out of here." The man held up three masks and handed each of them one, then he helped them strap onto their back a canister of air.  
  
"How did you get here?"  
  
"I've been diving for most of my life, I just sold a cabin my family owned up around these parts. I went to clean it and get my diving gear with some friends. On the way back we stopped to see the mines and we here when the blast happened. The sheriff asked if I could help out perhaps. My friends and the police and some paramedics are waiting for us at the nearest dry tunnel which is-" here he paused to examine a small gadget attached to his wrist. "A mile and a half down the mine. The air tanks have enough in each for three hours, as you've noticed those long ropes connect all of you to me, I'll lead the way you'll follow. Do any of you have any diving experience?"  
  
"I'm a qualified diver," dr. Gradar supplied.  
  
"You'll come last with the second light then, I'll take the first, come on." With that he showed them how to put on the masks and breath with them, then he vanished below the waters, as soon as the rope between them was four feet out Rigand followed, another four feet and Ria ducked beneath the water, ahead she could see the glow of a light, soon behind her came another glow, lighting up the water around them.  
  
It was eerie to swim through the mines; they could see the rail cart tracks, old shovels and gear left by the miners. It was cold though and soon the three found themselves nearly passing out. At this point their savior stopped, suddenly everything went dark.  
  
Harry climbed out of the water and levitated the three people out behind him. He'd knocked them out to make it easier.  
  
"How are they?" Grace asked, unstrapping the air tanks and masks.  
  
"Better once I got the warming spells on them. We'd best take them down to that small local hospital I saw on the way up." He looked around; soon the rest came running over.  
  
A half-hour later Harry and the Special Project Division left the town and headed up to the campsite they had made on the mountain side. The three would be okay, the sheriff just wouldn't stop shaking their hands and the entire town had been treating them like heroes. Back at the campsite they immediately went into action, everything was packed up and together they went back down the mine. Not bothering with muggle things Harry used magic to get back to the chamber and remove the bodies and skull. For some strange reason no one was at all sure of the skull's power hadn't affected Harry, he felt much more powerful around it, but nothing bad. On the Phoenix's advice none of the other team members were allowed to see or get within ten feet of the skull.  
  
The mines had been closed, Harry, worried about what might happen when the skull, being one of the sources of magic, was moved, had a hidden chamber deep within the rock at the mountaintop prepared for it. Then he went back in.  
  
Inside a huge bubble Harry teleported out the bodies. Then he used a complete copying spell to copy the writing and indeed the entire chamber. Once they got back to the Fortress this could be expanded again onto the walls of another chamber so they could see it, recreating the original. Then he turned to the skull.  
  
Harry examined the problem of how to move it, he got the feeling that it was calling for him to touch it, but Harry resisted its call, time to experiment later. He levitated it and the pedestal up, that was when he saw the dip in the obsidian pedestal filled with blood that had been dried there for centuries, intrigued he examined it closer, careful not to touch the skull. The skull sat in the center of some symbol, the symbol was large and visible around the edges of the skull, in fact…Harry put it back down and looked at it from directly above. He stifled a gasp of astonishment at what he saw, the skull sat dead centered in a copper circle, around the circle were eight points, the same symbol as on his palm, the same as the Potter family crest.  
  
  
  
  
  
Haha! The mystery deepens. Please review and tell me what you think. 


	4. Chapter 4 How Atlantis Died

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Enjoy the chapter and review!  
  
  
  
Chapter 4 How Atlantis Died  
  
At the entrance to the cave Fred and George stood guard, Grace was sitting a little way off giving the council an account of what had happened to them so far. Merzela was making lunch. Order agents stood guard all around. Outside the sun was turning orange. Inside the chamber Harry was examining the skull and readying it for the trip back to the Fortress.  
  
There had been much concern over whether it was possible to move the skull without disrupting the magic vibrations and fields that covered the world. After two days of careful searching through every book that existed on the topic and some careful study of the skull by Harry they had decided that it could be moved safely. Consulting with magical creatures all over the world it had finally been decided that the change wouldn't harm any of them, nor, according to the leading herbologists, should it harm plants in any way.  
  
The press had been given full coverage ability of the story from the start. That was why the gold patrol and all twelve of the special projects division were on the site right now. The skull was to be moved to the Fortress that very evening, and the green patrol came in to help keep the reporters off it and Harry.  
  
No one had seen Harry for more than a few minutes since he'd entered the chamber 46 hours ago. He'd come out to take small blood samples from everyone who would give them and expose them to the skull, then using muggle technology most wizards didn't understand one bit, he was examining it. He'd also asked for various animals' bloods and plants. As of yet the press hadn't been able to interview him, they were all going berserks to get a chance to ask him about his work with no success. From his test Harry had been able to determine that there was something in his magic and blood that caused the skull to not harm him. He hadn't been able to isolate what it was, nor even what it was, but everyone else's blood cells and literally blew up in the skulls presence, accounting for the fact that anyone who neared one of the focal points of magic turned into a nice big smear. After exposing animal blood and plant sap to it the results were the same. Harry was currently packaging the skull, he was nervous as to what the effects would be should it be exposed to sunlight, it might destroy every living thing for miles. He had also learned that he seemed to be the only one who felt heightened magical powers around the skull. Then again no one got close enough to tests that.  
  
Inside the chamber however Harry had been keeping information from the outside world. He had discovered what it must be that enabled him to be around the skull. He had learned that the inscriptions were in fact two different languages and had learned to read one of them. He had discovered why no one else seemed able to stand it, and much much more. There was an ever-constant impulse to touch the skull, always with his right palm, the one with the symbol, which he worked hard to suppress. The one time he did work the overwhelming sense of danger and fear had made him jerk back, even as the pull grew stronger. Harry placed some thick black felt on the ground and picked up the pedestal and skull onto it. He could touch the pedestal, which had tiny copper handles, which folded out from below on hinges that were good as new. But he hadn't touched the skull. He had sent the pictures of the writing to every wizarding organization that could possibly be able to decipher it; as yet he hadn't gotten a single result. The bodies he'd also wrapped in felt, the press hadn't gotten any pictures of them yet. At the Fortress a chamber had been prepared specifically for the skull and his lab work on it. But that evening he'd promised the world that he'd give them the results of his research to date and answer questions as best he could, he wasn't looking forward to it. Every wizard house had at least one fireplace; most were hooked to the floo network, but every one, even the ones not on the floo network, had been hooked up for free if the owner wished it, for his speech, which was to be broadcast into every one of those fireplaces, translated to the local language by magic as it went. Harry had prepared charts and diagrams to show along with a fake skull he had created to look exactly like the one he had discovered, along with all its secrets, so he could show them as if it were the real thing. Being unable to touch the skull in real life he had been considering using only magic to touch it during his presentation, but had decided against it.  
  
A half hour before he was due to move the skull Harry came out to explain what the security measures would be like to the Order agents.  
  
Marina and Warren (who's turn it was for guard duty) snapped to attention as they felt the three foot thick rock door shudder and lift, the slight rumble alerted everyone else, the press leaped into action, running forwards with camera and note pads. The Order agents formed a barrier in front of them. But as the door opened a spell said in some other language from the person exiting made every reporter and camera man there freeze motionless, unable to move any more than their eyes. All of the order agents relaxed, and nodded to Harry as he came out.  
  
Harry was wearing a dark green sleeveless shirt and pants, he looked a little dusty and tired, but otherwise rather excited. He frowned at the reporters then smiled at the agents.  
  
"When I bring out the skull if any living creature, including plants, is within twenty five yards they'll be dead in seconds, make it thirty just to be sure. I've wrapped it up as best I can, and the bodies, they possess some of the same power as the skull as well. The chamber at the Fortress will need to be completely empty of anything living." He told them, there were nods all around, someone started measuring off the distance, and forming a dome around the area to keep people out. "Until then I'll have too make sure the cave is clear of it's essence, once we're out the cave needs to be collapsed so no one can enter, I don't know how much of the power will stay. Have the muggle down at the hospital been taken care of?"  
  
"Yes sir, their memories wiped, and the chamber where it was discovered has been sealed off from muggle forever." Marina answered him, Harry nodded thoughtfully.  
  
"I'll have to talk to the phoenix about moving that to the fortress as well, perhaps there was something there which activates or turns off the skulls powers…" He frowned at the reporters again then turned and went back in, as he stepped through the door the spell vanished, half of them fell over, of the remainder half ran forwards trying to get pictures of him or the inside of the cave.  
  
Once the dome was in place Harry levitated up the skull, pedestal, and bodies and opened the door again. The sun was dying on the horizon, but he knew that in England it would be different. He had no doubt that this moving process was being broadcast as an enthusiasm builder to everyone who had been connected to see for his presentation later. Outwardly Harry was calm, inwardly he was worried. If Voldemort got the skull he could destroy it in such a way that only his people still had magic how he'd accomplish this Harry had no idea, but he could tell that it was possible from his brief examination of the skulls power.  
  
Once he reached the outer edge of the dome Harry called his lightning and vanished, much to the surprise and delight of the onlookers.  
  
Harry reappeared in the chamber made for the skull at the fortress, it was deep underground and well protected. Harry put the skull on a table he conjure dup specially for it. Round and made from a very solid and strong wood that would hold it. The bodies were placed in an adjoining lab, with many preserving spells, on large table. Then Harry reported to the council room.  
  
"How'd it go Harry?" Miranda asked him the minute he entered.  
  
"Very well, the chamber's inscriptions have been copied with a spell and put along the walls of the third room right?"  
  
"Yes, come on, are your ready for your presentation? You've got a huge audience." Albus told him, his eyes twinkling with keen interest about what Harry was going to tell them. Harry hurried downstairs and got his things then joined them.  
  
For convenience sake his presentation was being held in a huge room within the Fortress used specially for announcements of this sort. Harry was embarrassed to note that his banner, a deep almost black blue sky with a Royal Aaron roaring on it with a lightning bolt going down across it and smaller ones in the background, had been put up on the wall. The audience was sitting in huge rows out in front of him; there was a table at the front of the room. The first three rows were important people form just about ever country, behind them was a seething mass of reporters. Order agents in their emerald green were along the walls and at each entrance and exit. With so many important people here security was, almost literally through the roof.  
  
"Quiet! Quiet please!" Sirius barked, walking out onto the stage, the audience went quiet in seconds. Harry waited, partially hidden, in a doorway to the side of the stage. "I know this is all very exciting. A few days ago we received word that a muggle miner had stumbled upon one of the focal points of magic, not only that but he had called in some excellent archeologists to investigate it. We immediately sent in four of our Special Projects Division along with Harry Potter, who as one of those who started the division, to aid them. We know there's been a near total news blackout for the past few days, and I will tell you now the investigative research is no where near being done. But already we have amassed loads of information, I now turn this show over to the person who is the ONLY living person who is somehow unharmed by being in the presence of this skull, he's been leading the research on this object for days non stop so the rest of the world can know about this as soon as possible, Mr. Harry Potter. " Sirius went and sat down with some other Order council members off to the side of the stage to watch. Harry walked out and placed the large black bag he carried down beside him on the table.  
  
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. For centuries it has been believed that the focal points of magic were fixed locations on the earth from which all magic stemmed. Well I can now tell you that that is certainly not the case. The focal points are objects, created by the wizards of Atlantis."  
  
At this there was a hubbub of noise in the room, Harry paused until it became quiet.  
  
"These wizards of Atlantis were the ruling family of the Atlantian Empire which, as we know, covered a giant landmass the size of Asia, Europe, and Australia combined in the days when the seas covered more of the planet and the polar ice caps were nearly non existent. They were a highly advanced people with just as much knowledge of astronomy as we have today if not more, but you already know this. From what I have learned from the inscriptions upon the walls of the chamber their astronomers located a pair of twin comets in the night skies, using advanced mathematics they predicted the comets course and saw that they would strike earth; there would be no escape. The ruling family knew that all of them would be wiped out by the comet, as would almost every living thing on earth. From the time the comet was discovered until it hit they had approximately two days. Now you must understand that the royal family was small, and they didn't believe that any of them would live, so they decided to put all their power into focal points and place them around the globe, so that the magical creatures and plants who existence depended on that of the royal family's, could survive. They also hoped that one day magical peoples would again walk the earth. They were far more powerful than any of today's wizards, but they had a strong sense of duty. From one-foot by one-foot blocks of black obsidian, which conducted their magic's very well, they carved eight skulls. One of which we have now discovered. So that you may see what these actually look like I have created an exact replica, except for the magic, of the skull currently residing in the laboratory here at the Order of the Phoenix Fortress." Harry slowly opened the bag, the crowd shifted with excitement and anticipation, and lifted out a large black obsidian skull.  
  
  
  
Hahaha! Cliffy! Please Review! 


	5. Chapter 5 Secrets of the Skull

Thank you to everyone who reviewed with special thanks to Jeremy for his very long and very critic-like, and very helpful, review.  
  
Chapter 5 Secrets of the Skull: As Told by Harry Potter  
  
The cameras flashed blindingly from all around the room as Harry held the skull flat on one palm and displayed it briefly before placing it on the table. Harry was nearly blinded by the flashes, a slight twist with magic and they didn't bother him anymore. He waited until the entire room was silent before continuing.  
  
"This skull, like the real one, is made form a large block of pure obsidian. These skulls were undoubtedly made with magic as the tools at that time could not have carved it so perfectly, obsidian chips easily and is difficult to carve." He paused as a reporter raised her hand, he gestured for her to put it down, stating that questions could come at the end. "Now these skulls are not all that they seem, in my examination of the skull I noticed a hairline crack running all the way around it." Harry reached down and covered the top of the skull with his palm, griping it carefully he began to twist, son the top section of the skull unscrewed and came off in his hand. Harry placed it aside on a black cloth. "Now you can't see it in this one but the inside of each skull was filled with a golden liquid, I have no idea what it is, but after careful examination I have concluded that it is the lifeblood of the royal family of Atlantis, this particular skull contains all the lifeblood of one wizard and some from another. Having separated the two and gauged their power content I can safely say that the smaller sample came from the King of Atlantis, the other was the full lifeblood of one who appeared to be a very powerful cousin of his. My guess is that one of the more powerful members of the royal family drained their lifeblood into the skull, then to activate the final spell the king himself took his and put a equal amount into each skull, thereby binding all eight together." Murmurs went around the room of understanding; he was getting through to them without using loads of technical terms. (Seeing as this was a new area of magic he'd made up a few to describe some of the concepts used)  
  
"Now this, draining one's own life blood, shows a strong devotion to their people and a great sense of duty. But the royal family was large and the power that had to be placed into the skulls was all of theirs, not just any few. In order to place all the power there was then into these skulls EVERY magical person would have to put all of theirs into it, thereby killing themselves, I'm guessing that this even included children. Remember during the time of Atlantis all power on this planet stemmed from the royal family. Since no one today is as powerful as the ruling Atlantians were," here there were a few whispers, "clearly not all of their power made it into the skulls. My theory is that when the comet struck its near destruction of the planet was so terrible that the powers held within the skulls were pushed to their limits to handle it and to keep any life forms alive at all.  
  
As to why I can get near this skull when others cannot, I really don't know yet. I do have a theory I'm working on but it is still in the early stages so I can't tell you anything about that yet. However I have taken blood samples from hundreds of volunteers and exposed the blood to the skull, in each case the blood cells simply exploded. Sometimes this process took less than a second, sometimes it took up to a half hour, it all depended on the wizard. But because of this inconsistency in the blood's reaction time I can't tell exactly what causes it, for all I know the only reason I can get close to it is because my cells are taking a long time to explode. I have not yet had time to do a thorough examination of the pedestal the skull rested on, and I hope you realize that to completely understand the way it and the other seven provide all the magic there is, is the work of a lifetime or more. Now I'm sure some of you have questions?"  
  
Immediately every reporters hand in the room went up, along with basically all of the dignitaries in the first few rows, Harry called on them first starting with the Hungarian Minister of Magic.  
  
"Mr. Potter does the reaction time of the cells vary with their proximity to the skull?" *Ah so he was listening, and he's not half stupid either. *  
  
"Only to a certain extent sir. If the cells are in the same room the reaction time is always the same for each person. If a glass shield is surrounding the skull the reaction time also remains consistent, I have yet to do further tests."  
  
Harry answered questions for another half hour before calling an end, everyone slowly filtered out of the room, the reporters all scribbling furiously on note pads or watching Quick Quotes Quills do so. The Order members showed them all out, Harry sighed and sank into a chair that appeared from nowhere behind him.  
  
"Nicely done Harry." Sirius said, coming up beside him. Suddenly Miranda came stalking in, looking furious. "Uh oh, what's wrong?"  
  
"I thought you said that Skeeter b*tch was dead!?" Harry looked up in surprise, hadn't her body been found after an attack five months ago?  
  
"Well her body was buried…but we never actually got any other proof, isn't that enough?" Aram asked.  
  
"Was having his head blown off enough for Lucius Malfoy?" Harry asked.  
  
"Dead or not I just saw her walking around outside…Harry could you do a search for her mind?" Miranda asked, Harry nodded, running a hand through his hair, that had been tough, hundreds of minds all clamoring and shouting away in his brain, thankfully a few days of near peace and quiet from that was all it took to get his shields back up. He lowered them carefully and steeled himself for the blast of thoughts, thanking his lucky stars that the only people in the room all had their own blocking spell on. He searched quietly but couldn't identify any as Rita's, and then he hit on Andy Ririka, an auror turned reporter. *No way! Skeeter! I wonder if they know she's not dead, have to owl them in the morning, dman it, she's going to blow this all out of proportion and change the facts, have to get the right stuff out first…*  
  
"She's here, Ririka just saw her as well, he'll be owling you in the morning, or maybe later tonight, the Prophet's having a field day with this." Harry said, thinking of the phoenix egg back in his office he stood up. "I'd better head back."  
  
"Will you be coming to help with the students who stayed over the summer?" Albus asked him.  
  
"Yes, in a week, I have some things I have to do first, and then there's the skull, and two of my spies want to talk with me, something about Voldemort starting another invasion of South America. I'll keep you updated." He left, teleporting back home once he got outside.  
  
**  
  
Back at Potter manor Harry appeared in his office, startling Tiger who growled. Harry stooped to scoop up the cat and carried him over to the fire. His book was lying open where he'd left it, in the fire the phoenix egg was completely gold, and had been so since he'd seen the last sliver of white turn gold yesterday when he'd come back for a few minutes to get some things. Harry stroked the g lightly, it was warm and when he touched it he thought he could hear phoenix song. Smiling Harry looked at the clock, it was midnight, he went into the living room and up a short staircase to bed.  
  
Early the next morning Harry woke and hopped out of bed, they day looked like another scorcher, careful not to step on Tiger's tail he dressed and went downstairs. Since it was still a little too early for breakfast Harry went outside, at the door he turned left along the pathway and walked down to the stables which stood just beside the manor, separated form it by a huge herb garden. The waters of the lake glistened and shimmering and the ground was wet with dew, flowering trees and droopy willows lines the waters edge, around the side of the lake he could see the boat house, an old white stone building covered in green vines with orange flowers. At the stables Alonzo, and very large fluffy black and white tuxedo cat joined him. He had found Alonzo in the gutter when he had visited Moscow to help with a pair of troublesome basilisks who couldn't understand that the network of underground tunnels used by the Moscow's wizards weren't meant as their den. Alonzo padded silently along beside Harry, every now and then brushing against his ankles as his young master toured the empty stables. Once full of the amazing horses for which the Potter family had been famous it was now empty and silent. When Harry's parents had gone into hiding they had set the horses loose in the mountains and fields around the manor, but all of the Potter lands had enchantments so the horses should still be out there. Harry summoned his broom.  
  
Ten minutes later Harry was flying above the rolling hills, he had left the lawns of the manor behind and now he was out in the three hundred acre wilderness owned by the Potter family since almost before Hogwarts founding. Harry swooped down and slid along between the walls of a gorge, coming out onto another longest of hills, the silver/blue river that fed the lake wandering among them. Then he saw the horses.  
  
A herd of fourteen horses was grazing in a field of flowers. Harry circled and came back, coming to a stop above them, using a spell to remove his shadow so it wouldn't startle them. Four blood reds, a white with a red/gold mane and tail, one all white, one all gold, another gold with a black mane and tail a gorgeous palomino, one chocolate brown with a white star on his forehead, and one gigantic black who's fur shone and rippled, probably the stallion. Also among the herd were three foals, one a red with a black mane and tail and white socks, rather unusual looking, a all brown with the longest mane and tail he'd ever seen, and an all white. Pleased Harry flew around the general area for a while, by noon (he'd forgotten about breakfast) he'd figured out that contrary to the habits of most wild horses all of the Potter horses herds moved in a large group, basically. Led by the largest herd with the bachelor stallions taking the rear. He even noted two very old mares that looked as if they might have been around when his parents still lived here and the horses spent the winters in the stables and the summers out in the fields, when the Potter family was still riding them.  
  
Harry returned to the manor for lunch, and then went to the huge library to look for books on horse training. A little after three he started up as 2 owls flew in. One dropped a paper on his head and left, the other delivered its letter and flew off. Harry opened the one with the Hogwarts seal.  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
You have been chosen as Head Boy this year, your badge is enclosed along with a list of duties and responsibilities. The usual list of supplies is on the other letter.  
  
The following are your grades on the NEWTs you took last year and over the summer, well done. You have received above perfect in every subject and have the highest grades of any students yet. (Though perhaps Miss Granger will beat those)  
  
Divination: 139%  
  
History of Magic: 145%  
  
Ancient Runes: 137%  
  
Muggle Studies: 129%  
  
Astronomy: 143%  
  
Potions: 153%  
  
During the year I know you'll be spending huge amounts of time on various projects and things for the Order of the Phoenix and whatever else comes up. You may skip classes whenever you have too for this, please inform the teacher and try to make up the work. I doubt you'll have much of a problem.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Albus Dumbledore  
  
Harry grinned joyfully then turned to the next letter which appeared to be from the Ministry, it was huge. On top was a letter from Prof. McGonagal.  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
Last year you discovered that you have many animagus forms. As always I wrote to the Ministry with each students possible forms. Should you try to become any of these please tell them first, they have a special department for this. However knowing you I wouldn't be surprised if you already could transform or if you didn't need any practice at all. Enclosed is a list of possible animagus shapes. Due to the fact that both your parents, grandparents and just about everyone else in your family on the Potter's side has been animaguses and both your parents were it is probable that you have more forms than those shown on your list. Though you may not be able to become all of them. The lists should be good suggestions for what you might become, it's best to practice your animagus forms for two hours day until you have them down perfectly. (needless to say the Ministry already knows about your Royal Aaron form.) If you can transform into any of the others they'll probably want you to pass the test so they can register you, the test is just transforming to your animal form a back again. So that they can get markings and color. Please owl me back the lists when you are done.  
  
Prof. McGonagal  
  
Harry found the list he'd made in transfiguration class last year  
  
Royal Aaron  
  
Cobra  
  
Caracal  
  
Dire Wolf  
  
Fox Bat  
  
Black Unicorn  
  
Wedge Tailed Eagle  
  
Griffin  
  
Phoenix  
  
Well he knew he could do Royal Aaron, he searched through the papers, but it wasn't listed; oh well, he just wrote it in at the top. Next was cobra. Harry frowned at this he got a book of animals form a shelf and flipped through to a cobra; setting the picture of a five-foot long cobra firmly in his mind he concentrated on becoming it. Suddenly he was much small the sounds were louder and he could see and smell better. Harry slithered over to a five foot high mirror down the hall, a huge black cobra with gold lightning bolts on either side of its hood, when he opened it, and the symbol from his palm on the back side of the hood, looked back at him.  
  
Next was caracal, Harry found a picture of one and concentrated, second later a black caracal with a gold lightning bolt barely visible inside both ears and a symbol on the back side of its right paw as swishing its tail around in the hallway. Harry struggled to transform back, when he finally made it he was breathing hard and tired. Deciding to work on the rest at another time Harry went up to the Potter owlery.  
  
In the owlery were eight snow owls, Hedwig perched on a nest up in the rafters hooted at Harry, who reached up to pet her and give her a treat. Hedwig had laid an egg two days ago, and she guarded it fiercely. All of the owls wore a type of collar, a loose one, more of a necklace, made of gold links with a small gold pendant hanging form it upon which was carved the Potter crest, each point around the circle was made form a different type of gemstone. Harry could remember when he'd given one to Hedwig, she'd been so proud of herself, in fact they all looked proud, puffing out their chests for visitors to display the Potter crest, as if to say "I'm one of the Potter's owls! Harry found it very amusing. There had been a time decades, perhaps centuries ago, when only the most important and powerful families had snowy owls, each bearing their owners crest. But Voldemort had targeted them, since most of these families were "as white as their owls" as quoted in the March 9th 1941 Daily Prophet, meaning that they'd never turn to Voldemort. All the more reason for wanting them dead. Harry gingerly stepped around a dead mouse someone hadn't eaten yet to where four of the owls were perched in the shadows, snoozing. Harry conjured up a piece of parchment and a pen.  
  
Dear Ron,  
  
Sorry I haven't written more, things have been a little hectic. How's your summer been? Mine's been rather busy…but I'm sure you've read that in the papers, those skulls are going to keep me busy all year…if they don't turn me into a nice little pile of mush on the floor first. Just after the school year ended I found my family's house, Potter manor, the owl that's delivering this is one of the family owls. Her name is Belle, Hedwig laid and egg so she'll be out of the air for a while.  
  
I think I've discovered a new use for those elemental bloods. I'm working on a potion that should awaken all those poor people at Saint Mungo's who went insane or into deep comas from prolonged exposure to (often multiple) cruciatus curses by Voldemort.  
  
In a week I'll be going to Hogwarts to help teach a martial arts class for the students who stayed there over the summer. I'll let you know who's teaching what as soon as I find out.  
  
Tell your dad that the new secretary is completely trustworthy.  
  
How about we meet in Diagon Alley on August 25?  
  
Your friend,  
  
Harry  
  
  
  
"Hey, Belle, could you take this to Ronald Weasley? Thanks." Harry said as the owl took the letter and swooped out the window, Harry went to work on similar letters to all the Marauders before going downstairs to the library took over some maps, what exactly would Voldemort possibly want with South America?  
  
Please review, I'll update soon, I hope. 


	6. Chapter 6 Summer Fun

Sorry it took so long, nice long chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed!  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Harry groaned as he looked at the morning's paper, well he should have known, but still.  
  
1 Truth of the Source of Magic  
  
The article gave an overview of everything he'd said, then ended with something that caused Harry great amusement.  
  
Mr. Harry Potter, the Royal Aaron who not five months ago saved the entire planet and everything on it, the only person ever to survive the Avada Kedavra killing curse ( twenty times as far as we know), the youngest Potions Master ever and one of the most powerful wizards alive today, otherwise known as the Thunder King or Lightning Lord for his unusual abilities with lightning, was the person who originally found the skull while rescuing muggle archeologists from a flood deep within a cave (and probably from the skull as well) has been heading up the research on the skull ever since. He is the only living person who can get anywhere near the skull and in sight of it without being horribly killed, though he has no idea why we're sure he's just being modest. As the examination of the source of magic continues he and the Order of the Phoenix's Special Projects Division, headed up by Zafira Nerelle, will keep us updated on what they have discovered. Mr. Potter also commented that while the runes found inside the chamber with the skull are of no known language he can read one of them, the other is still being deciphered. Yet he believes, from looking at what they have discovered so far, that once the other language can be decoded it may tell us the full story of Atlantis, which has baffled archeologists and researchers for centuries. Already thanks to his discoveries we know much more than ever before.  
  
"Huh, pile on the compliments and glorified titles will they?" Harry growled, in half amusement half anger. Beside him Prof. McGonagal chuckled, Harry pretended not to hear.  
  
"Have you really survived that curse twenty times?" Asked Grath Fort, a fourth year Hufflepuff who had stayed at Hogwarts over the summer. Harry thought on that for a moment *Well, once when I was a baby, twenty two times saving prof. Snape, since a full score of them shot it at once and then two more, one time on that patrol, twice during that attack on the Irish School, and once more…ah yes in the death eater roundup in China. 27…wow are they off by a bit! But I won't tell him that. *  
  
"Yes, it's not enjoyable." Harry said a little shortly, Snape, owing Harry his life twenty two times for that and probably another two or three somewhere else along the way, was watching him carefully. Grath was staring at him with wide eyes.  
  
"What's it feel like? Sandra Lilow asked eagerly, Harry stooped for a moment before forcing himself to continue eating.  
  
"It is not pleasant." He said, suppressing a small shiver at the memory, the killing curse was worse that the cruciatus curse. It burned the skin right off his arms to deflect it, simply melted the flesh away, it was everything bad and cruel, sadness, spirits from the dead screaming in pain or calling you, blinding light, overpowering fear, aching joints, feeling like you were falling apart, exhaustion, tired to death, and unimaginable pain, every bad emotion possible to feel and huge amount so pain and fear, all rolled into a single blinding flash of death. "I couldn't really tell you anyway, deflecting it is a different feeling than dying from it."  
  
"Why? What's it feel like to deflect it?" Tarra Mint asked him, all the students were watching him closely, as were the professors, Harry never told anyone about what it felt like, so they imagined it must be pretty painful. Harry gave a tiny shudder at the memory.  
  
"Terrible, and it melts the flesh right off my arms." He said a little gruffly, getting up he picked up his paper and left the hall.  
  
Harry had just arrived back at Hogwarts, during the school year it had been decided to move the skull and everything with it to Hogwarts, so it would be easier for Harry to work on it. And Hogwarts still was one of the safest places for something in the world. Harry had spent the day preparing a special chamber next to the chamber of secrets, which he, on his ancestor's request, was restoring. Once it had been a gym for students to use in the winter, back when fighting muggle styles was taught and physical fitness had meant more. Too many wizards and witches today were in shabby condition, using magic to help could only get you so far, and it wasn't good for you anyway. Harry was returning it to a gym. Complete with locker rooms and a running track, not to mention a rock-climbing wall up one wall and along the highly domed ceiling to the top. The statues of Salazar Slytherin that Voldemort had erected as tribute had been demolished, they weren't good likenesses anyway. A large chamber off to the side was part of the underground living quarters in case of an attack. Professor McGonagal had created a huge staircase leading down to the gym from a new corridor just outside the entrance hall. Harry's lab was hidden deep down under the castle, though still above the water table form the lake, it was infact near the small cave-dock where the row boats were kept, though it was inside and under the castle. One heavily protected door from it led to one of the small corridors off the entrance hall, the one closest to Gryffindor tower. The lab itself was protected by the most complicated and extreme enchantments anyone knew. Harry and Dumbledore and the staff had had great fun the evening before inventing them and setting them up. No one but those authorized could pass. Plus Harry had five extremely venomous serpents and a Tasmanian Hell Hound guarding it. A Tasmanian Hell Hound was a huge dark red dog with spines on its back and in its tail, spitting venom, breathing fire, poison in its claws, paws that burned you where they touched you, mesmeric blood red eyes that could knock you out of even kill you, and a breath spell that burned up the insides of your lungs. Very very rare, about eighty in existence, but with such a huge gene pool that it was okay they were almost indestructible, add on to all that some of the most acute senses of any creature alive and numerous special hidden traps and enchantments it was trained, and the snakes, to set off, and you've got a block even Voldemort couldn't pass.  
  
After a half hour in the gym Harry stood and checked his watch, that phoenix egg should be hatching about now.  
  
**  
  
With a brief flash of lightning Harry appeared in his office at the Potter mansion. Just in time, the phoenix egg was rocking and glowing brilliantly. He took it out, knowing that such intense heat wasn't good while it was hatching, and set in on the bricks in front of the fireplace. A long jagged crack appeared, Harry reached forwards and carefully pealed off a small section of shell, wonder idly what phoenix eggshell could be good for. Inside a small wet reddish bird gave a chirp and ruffled its wings, pecking at the rest of the shell, which quickly fell away. Harry managed to get another slice before the phoenix burned the rest, as was the habit of their species.  
  
"Hello little one," Harry said softly, placing pieces of pineapple in front of the chick, knowing from Miranda that phoenixes liked fruit a lot, though they were omnivorous. The little red and gold bird gobbled it up and chirped for more. Harry fed it until it was full and closed its eyes sleepily. Harry waited as it sat down in a duck-like fashion to snooze, then he lifted it carefully and placed it in a nest of deep gold cloth he'd made for it.  
  
Tiger leaped up on Harry's shoulder and stuck his nose in Harry's ear, making him start.  
  
"Hey Tiger, like the new addition to the menagerie?" The cat gave a tiny mew of approval and draped himself around Harry's shoulders. The timer on Harry's desk began to glow, time to go check on that potion to revive cruciatus curse victims.  
  
Harry teleported to his labs, down in the cellar. Four caldrons stood around, two with fire lit under them. Harry wet to the largest and summoned a metal spoon, which he carefully dipped into it and drew out, allowing the orange and gold swirled mixture to slide off. It was almost as thin as water, but it should do the trick. Harry spooned some into a phial and walked over to the table, he'd gone to saint Mungo's over the summer and they'd given him blood samples from some of the patients. Harry spent the rest of the day in his lab, leaving every hour or so to check on his phoenix and sit beside it petting it for a while.  
  
**  
  
Harry arrived at Hogwarts around noon, his half grown phoenix Zarith perched on his shoulder. In a well-wrapped package under his arm was the skull. He'd teleported to the door just outside his lab, pausing to pat Duke the Tasmanian Hell Hound on the head as he passed, the huge dog nuzzled his hand before resuming his guard duty. Harry put the skull on the table in the center of the room. The pedestal was leaning against one wall, Harry went over to it and, using a small file, started to chip of pieces of the dried blood that filled the carved out ring in it. Some blood tests and he should be able to tell if the people who'd put their blood into the pedestal t make it work were infact related to the two who'd given their life-blood to create it. The morning paper had rerun the story he'd told and added that the Order of the Phoenix Special Projects Division was taking blood samples from anyone who cared to give them. A mirror on one wall gave him a view of the passageway outside, so he would know who was coming. Harry got the blood samples ready, he didn't have the know-how or equipment to examine them correctly here, he'd take them to the only wizard- run forensic lab over in the U.S. that afternoon. He looked around at Zarith, early on he'd figured out the phoenixes were immune to the skulls effect, Fawkes was sitting on the perch beside Zarith, the two were chatting away in phoenix tongue. Harry smiled and check the mirror, coming down the hall were Fred and George, each pushing a huge cart full of blood samples. Harry hurried out to meet them.  
  
"Harry, how exactly do you plan to ever get done with all of these? There's five hundred per cart, another three carts coming in this evening." Fred said, pushing the cart over to Harry.  
  
"I don't have to test all of them, what I'm looking for are other people who can withstand the skulls effects." Harry bent down to look it over, attached to each small phial was a tag with the person's name, age, blood type, origin, allergies, medications, diseases (including vampire, werewolf etc.) strange abilities. Harry took the carts and guided them down the passage into his lab. Looking the blood samples over he selected something interesting to start with, people with bee sting allergies. He took all of the blood samples into the storage room, took out the five from people with bee sting allergies and set them up on a tray. To each he added three drops of vampire bat saliva this caused the blood to turn blue as soon as the cells exploded and the saliva entered the cell. Harry sat down and took out some paper. On it he entered the information about each person, each on their own sheet, then he put a titanium lid over the entire thing and took them into the skull room, as he called it. He set them on the table and sat down, simultaneously he started his stopwatch and took off the lid. Instantly all five turned blue. Harry sighed, dutifully entered it on each new file and added them to the file holder he had set up. It had taken them .02 seconds, so they all went in the .02 folder, along with forty-six others he'd already tested. Already he had found that different people's blood reacted differently, and he couldn't figure out why some people's blood took 1.4 seconds, (the longest) while others took .02 (the shortest and most common)  
  
By noon Harry had used blood samples form people with diabetes, asthma, cancer, anorexia, insomnia, and AIDS, one hundred and seventy in all. He went down to the great hall to eat with everyone else, Belle his owl had taken the blood samples from the pedestal to the lab, which was called LMF, Laboratory of Magical Forensics.  
  
"Good afternoon Harry, how's it going?" Harry was tempted to just glare at Albus for his cheery tone.  
  
"Good, 221 done. Urgh! No success yet."  
  
"Any new records?" McGonagal asked him; Harry could tell that this would be a question asked at every meal form now on.  
  
"Yeah, Charlie Weasley with 3 seconds."  
  
"That's nearly double the last one. Getting better." She said enthusiastically.  
  
"Will you be there all afternoon?" Draco asked, probably wondering if Harry would join the rest in Quidditch.  
  
"Yes, and there are 1,500 more samples coming in tonight. People are only too happy to give blood. It's interesting, if their blood, for a reason I have yet to discover, survives the test, will they be so happy as to help out testing others blood? Not likely. It would be nice if I knew exactly what makes it possible for me to survive the skull unharmed…as yet, and others can't stand it for even half a second." There were nods around the table and suggestions about how that happened, Harry explained them all away, having thought of them before. Contrary to what he'd said he didn't intend to stay the rest of the day in the lab, he'd go flying for an hour or so with Zarith to help the young Phoenix develop his flying abilities and strength.  
  
Harry was in his lab; it was two weeks until school started, when the news came in. Attack on the Falkland islands off the coast of South America 629 dead or missing, the fighting was far from over, the dark lord's army was set on invading the islands full force. Voldemort had made himself known to the muggles, now what were they going to do? So far all those outside the attack zones didn't know about magic, but those inside did. To keep it from getting out the ministries of South America were keeping a news blackout of sorts that monitored everything sent out, everything. Hearing this Harry left with the Orange patrol for the islands to do what he could.  
  
**  
  
They arrived in a base camp of the Order's Sirius had assembled twenty people to meet them.  
  
"Harry do you think you could give them control over an element for the battle?" Sirius asked him, he looked energized, despite having been fighting for nearly eight hours.  
  
"It wouldn't be completely control, there are complications in giving anyone that."  
  
"Those would be?"  
  
"Well for one thing it would be impossible for an order agent, for me to give them the ability 1: I have to trust them completely, 2: they have to trust me in everything, 3: I will be able to control what they do with the power, 4: it would be practically impossible for them to feel any loyalty to anyone except me, it's a sort of master-servant thing, only I give them the power, and my loyalty, but they would be under my control. I wouldn't even need to use my Voice Power to make them do just about anything. I will not do that to someone Sirius; therefore I'm keeping it at temporary control. Ten hours is the most I can possibly do." Sirius looked shocked, utterly shocked at this knowledge. But he did seem to understand.  
  
"Alright, does that have any affects on them?"  
  
"Once they have the power it'll be impossible for them to captured, I can teleport them to wherever I am with a snap of my fingers, but they shouldn't go getting themselves captured just because of that. I'll be able to tell what they're using the power for, but not control it, and I'll know where they are at all times until it wares off." Sirius waited for his agents response to this.  
  
"Alright, lets go." Harry accompanied Sirius to where they were he recognized them as members of the Copper, Red and Bronze patrols, the gold wouldn't get here for another two hours.  
  
"Alright, you'd best sit down." Harry said, the first person, a Copper patrol agent named Rally, sat down cross-legged, Harry knelt and pressed his palm to her forehead. He search within himself and found the power, dormant in him, which came alive as soon as he told it to enter another. He touched it to her power and let an amount of be drawn in, then snapped off the link. Rally shuddered and twitched, he removed his palm, and on her forehead was the rune for fire. He went through this process with all the others, at the end Harry felt drained, and empty shell, and tired, he could sense each person's exact location, he looked around and found the portkey shed where he took a portkey to the other end of the next island over, where evacuations just weren't going quick enough.  
  
Terrified muggles were everywhere; running around screaming in panic an evacuation program had been set up by the Chile ministry. The order agents were doing their best to keep the advancing forces away, but they were terribly outnumbered. The muggles were being taken by portkey to the mainland, where their memories were modified into believing that some helpful group of people had fought with the attackers and taken them by plane and boat to the mainland. The blackouts extended even to satellites, so no muggles could say this wasn't true. For the next three days everything that came from the Falkland Isles and most of South America would be under strict control by the ministries and Order.  
  
Harry attacked on his own into a group of death eaters. Hurling lightning he leaped down form a roof top into their midst. Angry yells sounded around him.  
  
"Crucio!" Harry dodged the curse and hit the man with a skinning curse.  
  
Avada Kedavra!" He flipped backwards. "Damn it get that little brat!"  
  
"Shieldahi!" A huge gold shield enveloped him, "Freezius!" Two death eaters down.  
  
"Sarafit!" The contorting curse bounced back, the man was twisted about until both his arms broke.  
  
"Rahimvar!" Another fell screaming the flesh was ripped off his left hand. Harry tied four up with ropes and stunned them, gathering their wands he turned in time to see a group of death eaters running at him. Harry pulled a small crystal jar form his pocket and hurled it. It hit the street and exploded with a blast that opened a twenty foot wide crater in the ground choking smoke that choked the victim until they were unconscious billowed out, filling the air, Harry ran away and around some buildings, pausing to body bind another two death eaters. He called up a storm and lightning lashed, down, Harry felt a coldness creep into his mind, dementors. He whirled around quickly, knowing already that he was surrounded. 


	7. Chapter 7 Stage is Set

Chapter 7  
  
Nearly a hundred dementors were filling the streets, a large group seemed to have centered on Harry. The death eaters left the island at once, leaving vampires and dementors to finish off the Order agents and muggles still there. Harry thought fast, he could produce a large regular patronus to drive almost all them off, or he could create a killing patronus which would be able to take out only a score or so and was much more tiring. He chose the later, knowing that if he drove them off they'd just go to other targets.  
  
"Expecto Patronum!" A huge silver Royal Aaron leaped form his wand, in a second Harry transformed into a large black unicorn, utterly black with a two-foot long horn, large than any normal horse he leaped at the dementor crowds. Daring them to fight, spearing them on his horn and shaking them off. Keeping them back with flailing hooves and his now bloody horn. His patronus charged into them, taking them out, finally it vanished. It had done more damage than Harry had expected, nearly thirty dead dementors litter the street. Suddenly three patronus's, a silvery orb, a large bear and a cheetah raced by into the dementors, a few seconds later Remus, Garth, and Timalari were beside him, directing their patronus's at the dementors. Garth and Timalari were of the Blue patrol; Remus worked with dark magic detection, werewolves and sometimes helped out with the order animals. Harry transformed again and hurled his own patronus at the dementors. Patronus's were such a nuisance, his just didn't seem to ever assume a form and keep it. He'd seen and stag, a phoenix, a Royal Aaron and even, over the summer, a black unicorn. The one he'd just released was a stag again, but he was willing to bet that next time it wouldn't be.  
  
"Hi Harry, having fun?"  
  
"Oh yes Remus, just the way I love to spend the summer." Harry replied, stunning a few dementors that appeared to be trying to escape. He reached out and searched, locating his elementals, they were quickly making short work of the dementors, but they and he were tiring.  
  
"Damn," Remus suddenly muttered, Harry nearly slapped himself for missing the message, whatever it had been, from Sirius. "Miranda's fighting with Voldemort…they're just a few streets over, maybe we sh-" at that moment the entire line of buildings to their left was blasted apart, Harry ducked a killing curse and rolled to avoid something that looked like a nasty vomiting curse that basically made you vomit out your stomach. They rushed through the rubble to see what was going on. The street was a mess, littered with dead and dying. Order agents were everywhere, Harry even Charlie Weasley and three others coming in on dragons form the next island over. In the center, in a crackling globe of power, Miranda and Voldemort were locked in battle. Curses were flying everywhere, along with huge masses of pure power that could blow something apart down to its atoms and more often than not them too. Ever deepening pits soon covered the island; the Order agents had a tough time keeping the dark lords forces from aiding him. Finally Sirius arrived with another patrol…the purple. The trainees were evacuating muggles along with the gray patrol. The ground started to rock and shake.  
  
Sirius the island is caving in, collapsing into the ocean, we've got to stop them and get out of here! Sirius looked up and nodded, and he blood smeared across one cheek and a slash running down his leg from something or other. I'll try to open a link through the dark power stone, see if I can't drain more of his powers. If the Order creates a link they could keep him here for long enough…maybe, it's worth a shot. He sensed Sirius relaying the plan to everyone, Harry summoned his power stone, it appeared a few seconds later in a flash of light. The Order linked, they threw up a dome of power over Voldemort, Miranda joined them and stepped out of the dome, Voldemort was left trapped inside. He raged against it, trying to smash it, Harry strained mentally, calling the magic so that Voldemort's spells hit the dark power stone, which Harry held up just inside the web. Finally he felt a sickening dark link flare into life and drew the stone out of the dome. Voldemort screamed as he felt the link, Harry hung on and drew the blackness he sensed into the stone with all his might. His hands began to bleed from contact with the stone as it grew red hot with a horrible black fire. His scar hurt so much…finally it broke and began to bleed heavily, Voldemort shouted and incantation, black power flared, the ground shook and Harry stumbled, the dome nearly cracked form the spell, but it stopped the power which rebounded onto he ground, everything blew up in a flash of black and gold power. Rumbling pounding noises were very where and the earth shook and ripped apart, huge chunks of pavement and dir and grass were blown away as Voldemort manage dot snap the apparition ward and vanished, Harry and everyone else was thrown off their feet as the island ripped itself apart. The sea came rushing in, Sirius shouted an incantation over the link, Harry held onto the stone and called his lightning, it came down in a blast and they were gone.  
  
The island was left in ruins, sometime around midday two days later in finally vanished into the sea. Nearly five hundred people died that night in the battle; twelve were from the Order of the Phoenix.  
  
**  
  
Harry leaned back in his chair and rubbed his neck with a bandaged hand. His palms were nearly healed from the fight four nights ago. The dark power stone was gray now, showing that it held some of Voldemort's power, tinting its former white a pale but distinct gray. He placed the paper on the pile beside him. In the adjacent room Fred was setting up the samples, then he slid them through a door in the wall onto a counter that ran through the wall between the rooms, Harry opened the door on his side and took them out, and preformed the tests. This way Fred was never exposed to the skull and the tests went much faster. Harry sent he samples on to the next room through the same method to George who put them in racks according to how long it took the cells in each to burst, each jar was labeled with the time and placed in the huge racks. At the end of the day the twins filed all the papers alphabetically in the correct folders, again according to how long it took for the samples to turn blue. It was midday and since nine that morning they'd gone through 240 samples, done in groups of five. In all Harry had 'processed' or 'checked' or 'tested' depending upon who you asked for the term used to describe the endless testing, 1,030 blood samples. Fred and George could both withstand the skull's powers for 2.8 seconds; Remus Lupin currently held the record with 2 minutes and 22 seconds, followed by Arabella Figg with 2 minutes followed by Victor Krum with 1 minute and 45 seconds. Harry as yet wasn't showing any affects. In addition he'd gotten word back on the inscriptions within the chamber, the ones he couldn't read. The rest of the Special Projects Division was working on those, with Harry's help, he'd mastered the new language in only a few hours, much to his and everyone else's surprise.  
  
Hercules flew into the hall outside with the Daily Prophet, he was one of the oldest owls Harry had met at the Potter manor, and one of the largest. Harry went out to meet him, since the owl couldn't get near the skull either, and took it from him.  
  
Our Ancestors Tyrants?  
  
By Rita Skeeter  
  
A lot of theorizing has been done recently about what life was like for our long gone Atlantian ancestors. Mr. Potter said in his showing of the source of magic and its pedestal that from what could be read of the inscriptions in the chamber in which the source of magic (a skull carved form obsidian) was found only the Royal Family had magic. The rest of the Atlantians were muggles. The royal family would have been a small group, the leaders of the Atlantian people, but how did they, with more than twice the power of any wizard today, treat their subjects? They are obviously superior with their great power and the longer lifespan that comes with having magic. They obviously would have had a better lifestyle than that of the muggles, and the muggles must have known that. But what could they do? Our ancestors, their lords that the muggles might not have wanted as lords anyway, had the ultimate power, magic. It fits then that the royal family would have been like dictators, they made all the laws to suit themselves and could do basically anything they wanted. Many people however disagree, preferring to see our magical ancestors as benevolent rulers who truly cared for their subjects. Mr. Potter is giving the magical world an update on how his work this evening at seven; perhaps he will be able to clear this matter up then?  
  
It continued about how their ancestors had managed complete domination over the muggles through the educational system etc. Harry grew more and more disgusted, and pleased that he would be able to prove her wrong.  
  
Harry considered saying nothing about it, but that would just show Rita right. According to the inscriptions she was wrong, but he'd have to make it easily understandable, seeing as she was so incredibly stupid. He tossed the paper aside with an angry growl  
  
By dinner he'd gone through another five hundred, and had enough of it to last a lifetime. It was endlessly boring and repetitive, but someone had to do it. He perked up though when he remembered that his friends were coming to visit him at Potter Manor the next day after they went to Diagon Alley, and he'd see them again four days later at school. School, something to get his mind of the endless blood testing. Thought he wasn't taking many subjects this year, having taken the NEWTs for Divination, History of Magic, Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies, Astronomy, and Potions. Quiet a feet for a sixth year student. This meant that he only had Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms, Care of Magical Creatures, and Defense. Four classes less than any of his friends, enabling him to spend more time working with the skulls, his animagi forms, the Elemental blood, etc. A soft trill from just behind him startled Harry and he looked up from his dinner. The rest of the people in the hall did so as well. Raslith, Sirius's Phoenix, was sitting on the back of his chair with a letter that he dropped into Harry's hand before flying off. Harry glanced at it and saw no seal so it must not be official. He pocketed it to read after dinner.  
  
"How's the blood testing going?" Professor Dumbledore asked kindly, knowing how tired of it Harry was.  
  
"Nothing new, but I should be getting results on the dried blood samples I sent to LMF shortly, this evening probably."  
  
"Did you really need to do that?" Harry knew what Dumbledore meant, Harry could already tell just by theorizing whose blood those samples were.  
  
"Yes, I need evidence to back my theory."  
  
"How about decoding that other language?"  
  
"It's complex, alphabetical, with an excellent mathematics system. The French Department of Ancient Magical Languages got the math system figured out. Not surprisingly they have numbers 0-9 as we do, and just mix them for everything else. They had subtraction, addition, everything we do now. And if the inscriptions are right everyone was well educated in all of it. Skeeter's theory of the magical royal family being the only educated ones and a slave/master relationship between them and the nonmagic folk's got nothing to go on." Harry said, rather triumphantly, "and both muggles and wizards working together carved those inscriptions. The team is working on the other inscriptions; I figured them out two days ago. It's not that tough really, the grammar is like ours, but since it's all in lines it takes a while to sink in. "  
  
"Impressive, considering you're the only one really working on it." Professor McGonagal said.  
  
"Fred and George have been a huge help, and the team has done some amazing work on the inscriptions, by the way have you found a defense teacher for this year?" He asked the headmaster. Leaving out that he himself had also been spending extra hours and hours each day working on the inscriptions alone, they were rather disturbing.  
  
"It is difficult, but I will be teaching unless something big comes up." He replied, eyebrows went up on every student there. Oh yes, something will come up, Harry thought dryly, something big.  
  
"What new news will you be sharing this evening? Can earth-shaking consequences?" Snape asked, Harry put his fork down, not quite sure if he meant it literally.  
  
"Literally I assume?" he asked, noting the way everyone was watching him. Snape gave Harry a long look, searching for a some sort of trap in his words. "You may." He bit back a smile as eyes blinked rapidly, taking that in. "Now don't ask anymore will you? I would prefer to wreak my destruction on the social and political aspects of wizarding life only twice if possible." There was a very long pause in which no one said anything or moved.  
  
"Twice?" Snape finally asked.  
  
"Once with words once with actions, there are big changes coming professors, big changes, good or bad will depend on your interpretation of them." Harry stood gracefully and left, he needed to make sure he was ready before he dropped the bomb on the wizarding world.  
  
Halfway down the hall he was met by Ahira, one of his snake helpers.  
  
Masssster Voldemort had attacksss planned for this evening…at your presssssentation. He hasss a death eater among the reporterssss who will carry a sssspecial device for lifting the apparition wardssss. Harry reached down and picked her up, carrying the snake to his rooms, thinking about this.  
  
Ahira will the death eaters be stationed around the Fortress?  
  
No massster, twelve shall be in the crowd, another five will ssssneak in today during the prepatationssss. Another ten will arrive by a portkey.  
  
Just one portkey?  
  
Yesss  
  
There are spells to make sure that no portkeys besides the ones sent out to people by the Order are used.  
  
The reporter massster, they will carry a spell-link to enable the othersss to come. The othersss will ssssneak in in the form of guardsss for the Turkish Minissster. Ssince he and a dozen or ssso othersss will be there early.  
  
Is he a death eater?  
  
I do not know masster, all thisss I learn from Dakoff who watches the meetingsss of the dark lord'sss Inner Circle.  
  
Very well Ahira, thank you, this will be most useful.  
  
You're welcome massster.  
  
Harry placed the tired snake on a cushion in a pool of sunlight before returning teleporting to his mansion to gather some things he would need and then to the Fortress to inform the Council. 


	8. Chapter 8 Turn the World Around Thee Who...

Chapter 8 Turn the World Around  
  
Harry picked meticulously over his written report of everything known so far about the appearance, parts, and purpose of the skull, pedestal, and the chamber. He had already finished a full written report on everything known about Atlantis and what that knowledge meant. It was a huge document, twenty pages long, sitting in a folder marked Atlantis: The Planet and in another folder another fifteen pages marked Atlantis on Earth.  
  
The gathering had been pushed back two days due to an attack. This attack entered the wizarding world into a new phase of the war. Voldemort was using muggles, all under the imperius curse, to aid him. There had been three suicidal bombings in the capital of Australia just an hour before Harry's presentation was scheduled. There was no reason behind this attack, for Voldemort had been planning an attack on the Fortress and all the important officials gathered there during the presentation. Bu for some reason he had deviated from that course of action and turned on Australia. Sarlan's spy network had gathered that the planned attack would take place as scheduled during the presentation in two days. Giving Harry more time to figure out what he should and shouldn't say. He knew that what he said would have major consequences, in the long run for the whole of humanity. And in the short run for every newspaper, every book written on Atlantis, and much more besides. He now planned to lessen the blow by pre-informing the Order Council, and gathering some specialists in other fields of study to back his findings.  
  
Fred and George and himself had done some tests and figured out that the pedestal could not harm people, or de-molecule them, as was the term for what the skull did. Therefore Harry had to decide whether or not to bring the pedestal to the presentation. Harry signed his name on the paper and filed it, leaning back he stretched and checked his watch, time to check up on the SPD's (Special Projects Division) progress.  
  
**  
  
The bustling mob of reporters and important people slowly entered the room and sat down. In a back hallway behind the stage Harry was waiting with the Council, having just given them a run through of what eh had to say.  
  
"My lord Skeeter has been taken out along with the supposed death eaters." Sirius nodded at the report from Damia, of the Silver patrol. Two patrols were on duty around the Fortress, making sure the death eaters didn't attack. Through a spy Voldemort had been told that the Order believed that he would attack during the presentation, Sarlan had yet to find out if the attack plans had therefore been cancelled.  
  
Harry was in a mild trance, building up his mental barriers against the noisy jumble of thoughts in the next room. Over the summer the news about his being a mind reader had been leaked to the general public. The Prophet had gone haywire over the news, people were constantly giving Harry strange looks. But his assurance to the reporters demanding interviews that he could not read a blocked mind had led nearly everyone to perform the blocking spell, and for this Harry was grateful. But despite this some people hadn't done the spell correctly, and on others not well enough, he could still here whispers of thoughts all throughout the room. Finally the clock struck six, Harry made his way out onto the stage amid applause.  
  
"Thank you everyone, quiet please?" Harry went up behind the small table; behind him was the Potter banner, a white flag with the outline of a circle in gold, the online of the four points in emerald green, with an outline of a pair of gold lightning bolts zapping down into it from either side, a Royal Aaron standing on either side of the crest. Against it sat the three specialists whom Harry had called in to help. "Good evening, one week ago I came before you to announce what we had discovered so far in our study of the Source of Magic and of the Atlantian people. My presentation today will be a continuation of this." Harry waited for effect for a few moments.  
  
"2 million years ago this planet was much different than it is today. It was warmer, 82% of it was water, and not a single human being lived on it, and no magic of any sort existed. Then an advanced civilization of humans emerged, apparently out of nowhere, they called themselves the Atlantians, where did they come from? Who were these people? The ancestors of all humans living today? Their meticulously documented history, carved into the walls of the chamber in which the Source of Magic, the skull, was found, relates their entire history, and how they came to Earth. Yes, how they came to Earth, for the Atlantians themselves were not form this planet, they came here from another." Harry waited quietly while questions and shouts rang out, then he opened his mouth to speak, instant silence.  
  
"What I will tell you tonight is the story of our ancestors, how they came to be here, millions of light-years form their home planet, how they founded Atlantis on Earth, and how it was destroyed by that same catastrophe which drove them from their home, and their sacrifice to us, their descendants, so that we, like them, would have magic."  
  
  
  
  
  
Woo what's Harry going to say? I love making up stories like this so the next chapter will be another long one. You'll be surprised…I hope. Review please! 


	9. Chapter 9 Legacy of Atlantis

Chapter 9 Legacy of Atlantis  
  
"On the planet Atlantis, whose location we do not know, a highly intelligent race evolved. With the race, humans, evolved magic. All the humans had it, and it spread, before long something close to half of all creatures of Atlantis had magic. The Atlantian people were highly advanced, perhaps even more so than we are today. For the Atlantian people learned from the past, their laws, as we know from the inscriptions, were harsh, almost exceedingly so. Theft, murder, were things of the past. War was inconceivable. They were not idealists, but every life form strives for perfection. Their rulers were the most powerful among them, the more power you had the more responsibility you had to those with less power, it was a system with very little room for error. Their world was a dangerous one, there were many plants and animals, magical and not, that could kill, everyone was taught the basics of fighting at a young age. I won't get into their education system, aside to say that it was near perfect. The planet was like earth, all the same types of terrain, Atlantis; the planet itself had been shaped by the early generations of humans so that it would be better for their descendants. There were three large landmasses, all of equal size and each capable of supporting an equal population. The group at the top of the system, the rulers of the planet, were aided by officials elected from each continent, twenty per continent to help with the decision making and a huge host of minor officials, each with their own department in which they worked. The Atlantians thought ahead, much more than anyone on this planet ever does. They did everything within their power to keep the planet free of pollutants and unnecessary toxins, they were extremely careful with the environment, keeping careful check on the populations of every species, plant and animal, and as a result of all this concern they were highly advanced in the sciences. The Atlantians decided early on that they wanted to maintain a balance on their planet; therefore they were careful not to overtax any resource. They kept their population at or below a strictly regulated 50,000 individuals, not one over. Their only true enemy was another race of space-faring non-magic militaristic conquering species originating from the nearest solar system, which wasn't all that far away. Apparently this race attacked the Atlantians in the hopes of taking over their planet, the name of this species was the Bachians, they had basically destroyed their own planet and were looking for another, the Atlantians, after asking for peace numerous times, were left with no choice but to destroy them when the entire Bachian population attacked them all at once."  
  
Harry paused, watching reporters scribble furiously and seeing the keen interest on the faces of everyone.  
  
"The Atlantian people were highly sophisticated astronomers, and one day their astronomers caught sight of a new comet in the area. After watching it they tracked its course, and figured that it was heading straight for their planet. The comet was in fact three comets, all traveling together only about a hundred miles apart. The tracking showed that the biggest, sixty eight square miles of rock, would hit Atlantis. At the time Atlantis was already unstable from a dozen volcanic eruptions in the past four months. Their specialists figured the effects of the impact, it would completely destroy the planet's surface. Monster tidal waves, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, fires, etc." He paused again, watching the crowd, sensing that they were completely wrapped up in his tale, their ancestors, nearly perfect, powerful, but unable to save their planet. "The leaders of the time decided that they would have to leave, fortunately they knew of another planet, with no intelligent life forms, that they could live on. Earth. They had one year until the comet struck, so they gathered their entire population, 48,000 at the time. They gathered specimens from every plant and animal species, for where they were going there were none of these, in fact Earth at the time had very very few life forms at all. There was one dilemma in their mass exodus, the only way to reach earth was to travel in another dimension, through space and time, the entrance to would be created by the ruler of Atlantis, for she was the only one powerful enough. But no one person had the power to move them on their own. The eight most powerful members of society together did though. But it would take all their powers, and their life-force to do so. These eight knew that it was the only way to save their people. So everyone was gathered together on a hill, then the eight stood around the hill in a circle, al evenly spaced out and began the spell. Our ancestors, the Atlantians, were transported to earth successfully, else we wouldn't be here. The eight others died in the effort, and the trip through time and space ripped the powers off nearly half of the Atlantians. So they arrived, on a new planet, and only half of them had any magic left."  
  
He waited, watching his audience; the story had been a shock to him as well the first time he'd read it.  
  
"However because they had all lived in such an organized and perfected lifestyle they were quick to recover and shape a new life here on earth. In memory of their planet they called it Atlantis. Their eventual dream was to return home, and so they kept careful records and the knowledge of their planet's location. Then after nearly a thousand years here disaster struck again. The same as last time, the comets, the two that were left, had returned. Again they had warning, nearly six months, and in those six months the Royal Family, the only ones with any power these days, planned. They knew that only one of the two comets was on a collision course, but it was nearly as big as the one which had destroyed their home. And this time there was no other planet they knew of to run to. They carved eight skulls of pure obsidian; it is very good for storing power, into these the king drained his life-blood, equally divided among the skulls. Then one family member put all their lifeblood into each skull. A few days before the comet hit three family members went to the chamber in which the skulls had been placed. Here they drank a special potion, that would mix with their blood in seconds and give it the properties it would need to save Earth and start the skulls working. They then drained a large amount, 3/4, of their blood into the pedestals on which the skulls sat."  
  
Harry picked up the pedestal and outlined the small carved out ring with his finger. "A few days later the comet hit. As we know it killed nearly every living thing. The Atlantians that survived reverted to the cave-man ways to survive, magic was forgotten. Bu the skulls worked, magic itself still existed, even though those who had held it were dead, and all the magical plants and animals from Atlantis-the planet, survived." Harry put the pedestal down and waited, in a few seconds questions were thrown at him.  
  
"Wait, wait, not yet please. In the chamber in which the skull was found the Atlantians left us…a map…a star map…a way to find our home planet. Their goal was to help their ancestors find their way home, what they didn't foresee was what happened, the civilization of muggles and magic folk that evolve din their place. Inside the skull, floating in the life blood, I found a perfect globe of Atlantis, the planet. Showing all its landmasses and oceans and rivers, showing how dedicated to their planet they were." Harry turned to the wall behind him, suddenly a map dropped down form the ceiling, upon which was drawn a map of Atlantis, as it had been all those thousands of year ago where their ancestors had fled it. Cameras flashed rapidly as he stepped aside, giving them all a clear view of it.  
  
After a few minutes he returned and called up one of the specialists he'd asked to come. The best astronomer on the planet Ben Dralim was in his early fifties, medium height with graying brown/blond hair, his gray/green eyes twinkling, his laboratory housed a score of the best telescopes in existence.  
  
"This is Ben Dralim, a few days ago I gave him and his teams the challenge of trying to find Atlantis, funding for the project was provided by all the Ministry's, showing a rare streak of cooperativeness." Here everyone chuckled, Harry stepped aside and sat down in the back as the respected astronomer came forward.  
  
"Now we've only had a few days so far to work on this, but I have to say I'm honored to be the first to be given a try at it. The Order of the Phoenix's SPD team has painstakingly duplicated the entire chamber, since the entire thing is part of the map; I understand that from now on all work on the chamber and skull has been turned over to Mr. Potter so I hope he can help should we run into difficulty. The map itself is 3D, and you can literally walk inside it, since it encompasses the entire chamber, seventy- four square feet of wall space. It is unlike any map I have ever seen. It appears to be a view of the night sky as seen form the naked eye, probably from a mountaintop. Where we don't know. It shows many stars all over the ceiling, as they would have looked to the designers when they looked t the night sky. However that was thousands of years ago and the stars do change. They also left us a huge mathematical problem, showing the distance…I think, to the solar system, or general area in which we can find the planet Atlantis. We are trying to find this section of space the walls depict, probably the night sky above the mountain in which the chamber was found. A very difficult problem, most of the constellations we know of today didn't exist. We know that the planet is in this galaxy; we know that it is in the same arm of the galaxy we are, and that's basically it. We're trying our hardest and I will keep you updated on our success." There was applause a she sat down again, Harry stood to take questions.  
  
"How has everything been going with the blood tests?" Everyone stopped to listen.  
  
"Not very well, I have tested 3,477 blood samples, and I haven't found any that can last longer than a half hour, that being achieved by Albus Dumbledore. I will continue to collect blood samples and test them, I am convinced that our ancestors wouldn't create such a thing that none of us could use because of the skulls powers."  
  
"Have you shown any ill effects?"  
  
"Aside from a headache from examining labels on small phials of blood no, nothing." Harry answered with a smile.  
  
"And phoenixes are not harmed by it?"  
  
"Correct, unicorns, all kinds, and dragons are not either." Harry said, wondering if he should do more tests on animals. Pain flashed across his scar, Harry kept his outward mask on, inside he searched frantically, but nothing was happening near by, Voldemort must have found some new victims. Harry told Sirius quickly before the next question was asked.  
  
"Have you tried elf blood?"  
  
"No, not yet. And on that meter, elves and humans use dot be the same species, the Atlantians were a cross between human and elf, through selective breeding (basically) it ended up dividing into two species." This created a shocked silence. "Trolls, giants, goblins, they were always a different species indigenous to earth that evolved with magic after a few thousand years." Harry added, making a memo to ask Larquan, Kylara, for blood samples.  
  
This went on for nearly two hours, after which the guests left and Harry, by now very tired, left the stage.  
  
"Wonderful Harry, wonderful, it's so nice to hear your speeches, you're so energetic." Miranda said, smiling at him happily.  
  
"Lord Phoenix we have the death eaters down in the dungeons." Reported an agent of the red patrol. Miranda's mood, ever mercurial, changed in seconds from happy to hissing mad.  
  
"Can't wait to hear what Skeeter has to say. She wrote an article yesterday calling you a corrupt, drunken, madman for not attacking Voldemort's base." She told to Sirius, her eyes flashing dangerously. Sirius frowned, anger glinting in his eyes, anger that was mirrored in the mind o f everyone else there.  
  
Hope he lets Miranda torture that nasty b*tch!  
  
Might as well interrogate her and throw her in a pit of baby dragons. That had to be Charlie Weasley. Harry, realizing suddenly that he was reading their minds, clamped down his shields, which were weak after holding back the thoughts of the crowd for hours.  
  
"I'll head back to Hogwarts, how many did you get?" He asked, eager to be away from the constant press of minds.  
  
"Three, one got away though."  
  
"Oh no! Skeeter, she can transform into a beetle!" Harry said suddenly, Sirius sent out a quick message to the agents on prison guard duty to check on Skeeter.  
  
Check Skeeter's cell, she can transform into a beetle, don't let anything out of there! Harry frowned, his shields really weren't strong enough, he needed time to repair them, meditation would help a lot. Three more agents came up, now the pressure on his shields nearly hurt, Harry turned and hurried outside, he left the Fortress in a quick blast of lightning. Suddenly pain streaked through his scar, he stumbled, appearing in the courtyard of Potter Mansion. Harry swore angrily, cursing Voldemort in a variety of different languages before going inside, best not go to Hogwarts tonight, he might be needed elsewhere quickly if Voldemort attacked.  
  
**  
  
Harry was floating in darkness, with tired resignation he relaxed, knowing the dream would take him where it would anyway. Dark mists swirled around, then they turned red, and then a picture solidified. A farmhouse, situated at the foot of a hill out in the middle of nowhere. Darkness fell around it, figures appeared around the hill, they all hurried into the farmhouse, a sickening darkness washed around him. Searing pain across his scar. Harry struggled and managed to gain a tiny element of control over the dream, but then it's power scooped him up again. Harry went inside, helpless to stop the dreams, down a flight of stairs…red liquid covered them, and into the basement.  
  
Cells, eight of them in a circle, the circle was about fifteen feet across. Death eaters were sitting on top of the cell roofs or standing behind barricades between the cement cells. Two doors opened, from each emerged a young girl, about eight Harry guessed, each was armed with a knife.  
  
Voldemort, seated on a high throne atop one of the cells, death eaters sitting about his feet. His mad red eyes gleaming, he was clearly enjoying this. Fiery pain ran through Harry's scar, it felt like a red hot brand on his forehead.  
  
"Now girls, a good battle, first one to die looses. Winner gets a reward, maybe some candy?" Voldemort said, in an oddly kind voice that really didn't sound right.  
  
"I don't want to fight!" one of the girls said, pouting. "Where's my papa? What happened to him?"  
  
"Needn't worry about papa!" Someone called out.  
  
"He's alright for now young'un." The death eaters laughed.  
  
"Oh yes, very alright…alright dead." This last was said in a whisper.  
  
"He's safe." Voldemort said simply.  
  
"I don't want to fight! I don't hate her!" the other little girl shouted.  
  
"Do you want to be powerful?" Voldemort asked them both. There was a short silence, and then both nodded slowly, uncertain. "Well then, how do you think anyone gets to be powerful these days? You've got fight for it." Then his voice turned menacing, "if you do not fight you will die terribly, so I would suggest you try the stronger of you will be allowed to live, but you must kill the other. Let the battle begin!"  
  
Harry tried to hit Voldemort as the two girls moved toward each other timidly. Death eaters cheered and jeered at their captives. Harry fought the dream furiously.  
  
Suddenly he woke up, sitting upright, shaking with anger.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sorry, I don't like being mean to children, but I don't think my other stories were quite dark enough. And I need to kill a lot of people to make the plot work. Review! 


	10. Chapter 10 Back to School

Chapter 10 Running the World

Harry sat awake for a while, petting Zarith and replaying the dream on his dream recorder, which had never left his side since fifth year…except when he'd been captured by Voldemort…and when he'd fought the Elementals. He'd never thought that the death eaters were anything like this. Of course his ever-active mind had figured out Voldemort's ultimate goal, more supporters. Now he could specially train his death eaters form childhood to be however he wanted them. Obviously he wanted them to be killers. It also gave his death eaters something fun to watch, their own special sport, they probably even betted on the outcome. 

Shivering with disgust Harry got up and walked to the owlery, nearly forgetting to step over one of the fake stairs. In the owlery Hedwig, on her nest, greeted him with a hoot. The others were out hunting. Suddenly Hercules swooped in, he landed on Harry's arm. Harry tied the second dream recorder to it. It had recorded everything exactly the same as the other.

Dear Sirius,

__

It appears Voldemort has found a way to recruit death eaters, and to make sure they're exactly what he wants in supporters, while making them better fighters as well. The dream is short, but it is detailed and could be very useful. Fortunately what happens in the dream is a prediction of the future, yes I can tell the difference, it took place 200-290 miles away from Potter Manor. (You'll understand the next part after viewing the dream) 

I know that's a large area to search, I believe that the two girls in the dream have already been captured; in fact one of them went missing at the attack on the town of Faerlow. As far as retaking the prisoners and preventing the battles, I have no idea, I will try to find out more, I am sending out a message through my snake network to search for the farmhouse, once it is found I'll have by best spies attempt to enter. We know that Voldemort isn't in any of his other bases, he may well be using an unsuspicious, out of the way place to hide. The forts he's building may just be so that he'll have a place to start once he has taken over, but that's just a guess. 

I think it would help if the general public was informed of this. 

HP

Harry handed Hercules the letter that the owl grasped tightly in his beak.

"Take this to Sirius Hercules, quickly please." The owl took off into the night. Harry went back to his rooms. Tiger greeted him with a soft meow as he entered and sat down on his bed. Sensing his distress Zarith gave a small trill and rubbed his head against Harry's arm. Sleepiness filed him, Harry smiled and stroked the phoenix before going back to sleep, he'd worry about the dream in the morning. 

**

Stories, theories, and photos of Harry's presentation were in every newspaper around the globe for three days, and still Sirius hadn't replied to Harry's letter, except a quick note saying that Harry should go ahead with the snakes, and that the Order would patrol the area. 

School would be starting that day, Harry went to the Order Fortress before going on to Hogwarts, Sirius had asked him to accompany Stilgar and tow other students, Merlie and Stephanie, both 12, back to Hogwarts. They had been staying at the Fortress ever since the attack on their towns. 

"Harry!" Harry smiled at Stilgar, jumping up and down and waving at him. He went over to the three students.

"Hello Stilgar, Merlie, Stephanie. You ready?" All three nodded, "okay then." Harry called his lightning. He heard Stephanie gasp in shock as it hit, and then they were just outside Hogwarts.

"Wow, way cool!" Stephanie said, staring at Harry, Harry smiled and led the way up to the castle, floating their trunks alongside.

"Hello Harry, welcome back. Got any dangerous record breaking feats of courage planned for this year?" Dumbledore asked him good naturedly, his blue eyes sparkling as they heard the train whistle

"No actually, I never do, but…" Harry didn't continue as Dumbledore nodded knowingly. 

They walked into the great hall, Harry went over to the Gryffindor table with Stilgar, the rest of the school would be coming in a few minutes. Across the hall Draco caught Harry's eyes with a questioning look, obviously wondering where he'd been for the past few weeks. Aside from meals Harry hadn't said a word to his fellow students who were staying over the summer. He'd been too busy. The great hall doors burst open and chattering students flooded the hall. 

**

As seventh year students Harry, Ira, Ron, and Hermione were seated up next to the currently empty seats that the first years would take. Harry searched the crowd and finally spotted them, he waved them over.

"Harry! Need I ask how your summer was? I think the whole world knows what you've been up to." Ira said, sitting down beside him.

"Yes, it is very interesting, the source of magic I mean, and the stuff about Atlantis and our ancestors is really fascinating. Oh I've been working on this potion, it should awaken some of those people at Saint Mungo's who are in comas form the cruciatus curse. Sorry you all couldn't come stay at Potter mansion, I was really busy…I'll tell you all later. How was your summer?" 

"A little boring, I actually finished my homework halfway through the break." Ron said, Hermione smiled at him approvingly. Larquan and Kylara came rushing over and took their seats.

"Hey almost didn't make it huh?" Harry asked, the elves didn't take the express but were escorted to Hogwarts by a Royal Guard. 

"Mum wanted to talk to me, she and pa are coming here for another meeting later this year." Kylara said, the others looked up, excited at the prospect of seeing the king and queen of the elves again. 

"Hmm, do you think they'd mind if I asked for blood samples from their entourage?" Harry asked. 

"No no, actually dad's very interested in the whole Atlantis thing, and he likes the idea of humans and elves having a common ancestor." Kylara replied, the doors opened and McGonagal led in the first years. Harry checked his shields again, 90% of the students had blocking spells so he didn't have to hear their thoughts, but some of them had a lot of trouble performing the spell, and none of the new first years had it. He could feel their nervousness and fear swamping him and pushed it roughly aside. 

The sorting was over quickly, twenty six new students, as per usual these days Slytherin got very few, seven in all. Harry clapped with the rest and greeted the new Gryffindors warmly, finally Dumbledore stood to make his announcements. 

"Returning students, and new, please remember that the dark forest is forbidden. There has been a new corridor added coming off the entrance hall, this is also forbidden, any attempt to enter will likely result in immediate expulsion, if you don't get killed trying to enter first, just ignore its existence. It is part of an ongoing research project by the Order of the Phoenix which I am sure you've all heard about, the Focal Points of Magic and Atlantis?" Murmurs sounded all around the hall and almost every head turned to look at Harry. He calmly ignored them, petting Tiger who had leaped up onto the bench next to him. "You will see Order of the Phoenix agents around the school, please do not bother them, they're here for your protection. If you see ANY unusual or suspicious people or creatures around the school please tell a teacher, Order agent, or the head boy and girl" Harry and Hermione both raised a hand, "at once. Hogsmead visits have been cancelled do to increased activity of dark forces, but you know all about that." Groans form everyone here. "Since Hogwarts is a base of the Order's and one of the safest places in the wizarding world we will be hosting a number of guests and meetings here. You will be informed of when they are happening. Because of this you, Hogwarts students, will probably be more up-to-date in what is going on regarding the war than anyone else. Quidditch will continue of course. Now I know you're all hungry so, lets eat!" The food appeared and everyone began to eat.

**

The next morning Harry went down to his lab while his friends went to their first class, Potions. Having gotten his Potions Mastery the year before and having taken the NEWTs for Potions Harry was no longer taking the class. Besides he was needed for other things, namely the skull. Harry had basically given up on finding another human being who could possibly withstand it, and so there wasn't much to do. Instead he turned his attention to the strange mass of gold that had slowly begun to appear on the skulls forehead over the previous week. So far it was only a slight change in coloration, a faint goldish tinge to a large part of the center of the skull's forehead. Harry had no idea what it meant or what it was, but ever since the discoloration had started the urge to touch the skull's forehead had increased. He didn't know why but he shied away from doing so, he could handle the skull without trouble, but some inner instinct warned him a way form touching that spot. Careful magical examination had revealed a steady flow of power fro

m the discolored patch, a flow of power that grew stronger and stronger the closer Harry let his hand get to the spot. Harry was currently reading up on obsidian, seeing if it reacted this way to a magical substance that might somehow have come into contact with the obsidian skull. Though no one but Harry ever entered the room and he let nothing that didn't need to be in there into the skulls presence, unsure of what it could do. 

Miranda had suggested putting different potions and substances around the skull to see what happened to them. Harry had begun to set up an elaborate system of enchantments that would make this safer. He had no way of knowing if the skull would explode when presented with a certain chemical or something. In addition he set up a observation spell, which acted rather like a hidden video camera, allowing him to observe the skull at all times without actually being there. 

**

"Mr. Potter please stay after class." Harry nodded as everyone packed up he went up to professor McGonagal's desk. 

"Harry how has your animagi transformations been going? Any luck?" Harry could have kicked himself, after the first two days of practice he'd completely forgotten about his animagi forms.

"I haven't worked on them recently, I've been a little too busy. But I can do the cobra, black unicorn, and caracal okay." McGonagal looked impressed.

"On your own Harry? That's quite an achievement, well try to find time to try out the others, if you can do those you can probably do more." Harry nodded and hurried out. 

"What did she want Harry?" Ira asked him, the others had been waiting just outside the door.

"She wanted to know how my animagi transformations were going, I've got three of them down, cobra, black unicorn, and caracal." 

" Yeah I've been working on mine too, I think I should be able to manage ocelot soon." Ira said.

"But that's illegal! Harry has permission from the ministry, and there are spells on Hogwarts so they'll know if you do!" Hermione exclaimed at once. Ira didn't reply, they hurried off to history, Harry went his labs, soon he could begin testing the reactions of chemicals and such when exposed to the skull.

**

Defense class with Albus Dumbledore as teacher, of course everyone got there early. The five Marauders took seats in the front, the slightly nervous class chattered softly until the headmaster arrived. 

"Alright class today we are going to learn how to protect ourselves against vampires. Now there are many methods to killing a vampire, over exposure to sunlight, starvation, and driving a stake through their hearts. Contrary to popular belief crosses have no effect on them and garlic cannot kill them, though fire has been known to do so on some occasions, and drowning cannot, nor will decapitation." The class was writing everything down quickly, Harry, Ira, Draco, and Hermione had spelled their quills to take notes so they could still pay attention. 

"If you have to enter vampire infested territory it is best to take your wand of course, plenty of light, and garlic. There are a few spells that can drive off or kill vampires and we will be learning them today. The first is the Lumos spell, which of course you all know. The second is the Whesilio spell which creates a barrier a vampire cannot pass, nor even get within ten feet of, more if you do it with more power. That is what we'll start with, the incantation is Whesilio." The class repeated it, then they were assigned in pairs to try it, Harry and Ira, already knowing the spell spent most of the class helping Draco. Hermione of course got it right away, Ron could only produce a faint orange mist, putting him in a rather bad mood. 

**

We know that there were three almost identical comets, one hit Atlantis, the planet, one hit Earth, there's one left. Where is it? Is it coming back? How big is it? How can we guard against it if it comes back to Earth, if we can? Harry wondered quietly, watching the fifteen leading astronomers of the planet as they looked over the handouts he had given them, telling everything they knew about the comets and where Atlantis was located. The Ministry's had agreed to fund a huge project to 1-find Atlantis (the planet) 2-find out if the remaining comet would hit Earth, 3-if so what could they do? The main goal currently was finding Atlantis, without Atlantis's location they would never be able to find the comet's orbit. But since Atlantis was in another solar system how could it have an orbit? A confusing question.

"This data, it is exact?" Ben Dralim asked.

"Yes, as you can see our ancestors were very thorough. They've got the exact dimensions of all three comets, their distance apart, their speed, and a good guess at what they're made of." Harry replied. "Can we be sure that the comet that hit Earth was one of the original three?" He asked them.

"It has the same composition as one of the three, it's faster, and a bit smaller. But comets do get smaller constantly, that is to be expected. The faster speed, well it is coming closer to a sun so that is also expected. The same distance apart from one of the other comets, that is good evidence. But it is hard to tell." Ben replied.

"Three comets, two closer together and more alike than the other one. One hits Atlantis in another solar system. What are the chances of the remaining two breaking out of that star's gravitational pull?" Harry asked them.

"About 1 in five million." Was the prompt reply from Tarmina Lalues, the gray haired comet expert was scribbling note and calculations with the help of a pocket calculator. 

"It is tough since we don't know how large Atlantis's star is, how far away it is, how many planets adding their gravitational pull, what other stars are nearby. What really need is to find the planet." Simon Jackari said, looking over at Dralim.

"He's right, we really need to know, Mr. Potter I am going to give out copies of everything we know about its location to everyone who wants to try." Dralim said, after three months he had decided that he really did need help. 

"I will attempt to copy the map again. I'll make the copies form the chamber though, incase the one I gave you is missing something." Harry said, "sorry I can't be of more help." He stood and the others followed suit. 

"More help? Mr. Potter without you we wouldn't be here to even try. Just keep Voldemort off our backs until we're done?" Dralim said, reaching over to shake Harry's hand as they left.

"As to that, the Ministry's agreed to fund the building of a huge research station, with the best telescopes there are and all the latest technology, and a staff of to help run it. The Order of the Phoenix is sending in a score of their animals and there will be regular checks by patrols on the buildings. We've got the best enchanters getting ready to set up every type of protection enchantment there is. Agents are working on nonmagic defenses, including plenty to keep out muggles." Harry said, this was greeting by wide eyes and astonished looks by all of them. "It's being given first priority, if that comet is going to return and hit Earth, we'd like some warning. And there's a huge interest form the general public for more information of their home. So don't pressure yourselves eh?" He smiled again and walked out of the meeting room, their stuttered thank yous following him down the hall. 

Harry breathed a sigh, okay, the astronomers were his, the Ministry's were actually cooperating, the general public was unifying, Fudge was gone, the Order, though stressed, was growing and getting stronger, Voldemort would be out of action for a while, thanks to three compound fractures in his left leg, his two agents in the muggle world had assured him that they still had a little over ten years until the muggles discovered them, now all he needed was to remove Voldemort's apprentice. Things were bringing to look up. But now he needed to attend that Council meeting. 


	11. Chapter 11 Theories, War, Gunfights

Chapter 11

The school year progressed quickly for Harry, he was working hard constantly. Miranda set a new record for the length of time anyone could be exposed to the skull's power, two hours, surpassing Sirius's 1 hour and Dumbledore's half hour and twenty two seconds. But all of them were very busy, but Miranda still sometimes found time to help out. Harry had discovered that only living things could be de-moleculed by the skull, and had tested 5,890 blood samples (human) the elves at Hogwarts had given him samples as well. Harry discovered that the elves in general lasted longer than humans, their norm being at 3 seconds. In fact he was so busy that he hardly noticed the first month and a half of his seventh year passing.

Harry had created a theory that the more power a wizard or witch or elf had the longer they could withstand the skull. Though those who were more active in the fight and more loyal also tended to do better. He guessed that this was because of how loyal to their people the strongest Atlantians had been back on their planet, and the Royal Family here on earth. He gave these findings to the Daily Prophet, since the public was still clamoring for news, this created a huge surge of patriotism and suddenly people were much more cooperative and willing to help in any way they could, regarding the continued war. Needless to say the Order was very pleased.

During the two weeks since the last attack a sort of expectant calm had fallen. Everyone knew that Voldemort was out there, and he was recovering more quickly than expected from his injuries. Where would he strike next? The Order healed, set up stronger defense, trained, and worried over when the next attack would come. A census had been taken, putting the total witches and wizards dead at about 8,722 a horrific number that shocked the wizarding world. Since there only was a new more precise estimate of 80,000 adult witches and wizards when the war had started. Voldemort picked them off, family by family or in mass murders, his assassins accounted for huge numbers, many wound up being tortured or serving in gladiatorial games or as servants under the imperius curse for weeks. Last time he came to power he picked off people who fought him, now he got them and everyone else he could. Muggle murders were even worse, 21,400 was the best guess, and the muggles had noticed the war. The 1st and 2nd world countries had banded together in an astonishing unity to fight. They even called him the dark lord, and his name had been released to them as well. Voldemort hired muggle terrorists, using them to hide behind, some muggles called him the terrorist king, and the title fitted him, the world was in turmoil. But with all the muggle governments uniting, putting aside old arguments and grievances did bring about change, good change. There were no muggles wars going at all, none, zip, just the one against Voldemort. The Ministry's had unified, giving the wizarding world a stronger front defense. The Order of the Phoenix ranks filled to 890 full-time patrol members, 210 part-time members, 54 spies, (Sarlan was ecstatic) 86 healers, 43 animal managers, and a general staff of helpers at an all time high of 40. Giving the Order 1323 agents. 

So far as anyone could possibly guess Voldemort's army had 960 death eaters with a inner circle of 42. Dementor numbers were somewhere between 2,800 and 3,500, since no one really counted the dead very well, and they had been breeding unchecked in the far corners of the globe for nearly two centuries now since the last count. The mesmerd, a small species nearing extinction to start were now down to about 900 to 1,200. Muggle agents was anyone's guess, but Sarlan's expert network of spies, along with two agents of Harry's (he'd saved their lives and since their lives had basically been destroyed they had wanted to help) numbers, since they had infiltrated the terrorist community, was put at 41,700 to 42,000. Though many didn't have a clue they were working for him. His trolls (river trolls) were a small group, since many had left, 50, his snakes at nearly 30,000 all told, and 1,320 vampires, according to Sarlan's vampire spies. Giving him a grand force of 77,772 to a possible 79,022. Of course this wasn't public knowledge. 

The search for Atlantis continued, the astronomers had found out nothing new to share, but Harry was making headway figuring out their legal system according to charts and the under-detailed inscriptions. It was confusing to start on, but he had really gotten into it and found it very interesting. And it was enough to keep the public happy, after joining the astronomers as they worked over the charts and star map and viewing different portions of the night sky with them, looking for the same section as shown on the chamber's ceiling Harry was convinced that they knew exactly what they were doing and was happy to leave it to them. Giving him more time to work on his potion that should reawaken the comatose tortured people at Saint Mungo's, and more time to work in the giant herb garden he'd started at Potter manor, making things for the healers for when the next attack did finally come, and then of course he had school work and Quidditch. 

**

Mists, death eaters, dementors, vampires, trolls, snakes, all marched over the misted ground. They crested a rise and below them, on a huge plain with a river flowing through it, situated on the river, was a series of wood and stone forts. The army steadily marched down the hill towards the forts. Units breaking off to the sides to their own forts. The largest, a small palace, was where the death eaters headed, led by the inner circle. At the head walked Voldemort's apprentice. The army settled down, he tents were erected on the fields for those who couldn't fit in the forts. Sudden darkness, then another image. In a huge hall the inner circle gathered with the dark apprentice, who was calling himself Satan. They were looking at a map, it showed the forts and river, another beside it gave a larger view, the plain, hills around it, the river, they must have put enough muggle repelling charms on it probably kill any muggle who came near. Harry fixed the map in his mind then the dream sent him flying away, then he woke. 

Harry lost no time in getting the dream out to Sirius, but as he did a feeling of impending danger, he looked around carefully, but nothing seemed to be wrong. But he was worried; it felt as though soon, not in the next few days, weeks, or months, but soon, hundred of people would be dying. Harry frowned and sent Belle with the dream recorder, and spent the night puzzling over his sudden fear and worry, and the coming catastrophe. How it was coming or what it was he didn't know, but it had something to do with Voldemort and it was bad. Having long since learned to trust his gut instinct and beware of any odd feelings he wondered what he should be watching for, what signs of impending doom could he find if he just looked? Near dawn he shrugged it off to think about later and decided to go for a ride on Lightning, who was out on the grounds with his herd. 

**

Defense class quickly became the most popular class at Hogwarts, despite the fact that it was also the longest; Dumbledore kept it interesting and knew all sorts of cool little spells to teach if there was extra class time. After vampires they move don to werewolves and after them Mesmerd. Harry had no problem keeping ahead of the class. 

Potions class got better, Harry was no longer in the class so the fights that had been a daily occurrence the year before were nonexistent. And the schedule had been arranged so that Caitlin Snape got most of the classes with Gryffindors, and she was much nicer, and if possible even stricter than her husband. 

Care of Magical Creatures class, taught by Geoffrey Hemtleburn now, he had started helping last year and was now the full time teacher. But since Hogwarts had so many students now 3,448, all of the major subjects had two teachers. He was very good at it, currently they were on kneazels (spelling?) Of which he owned four, class was still held outside the hut, but Hagrid was still off working with the Order. Taking over for him was Attila Filch, who like his namesake Attila the Hun was ruthless and not very kind to anyone including his younger brother. 

According to Ginny the new transfiguration teacher and McGonagal's assistant Beatrice Kalion, had a tendency to favor the Hufflepuffs and was nearly as strict as McGonagal, but didn't assign as much homework, of course the seventh years were still taught by McGonagal. 

The Irish school had been rebuilt and reopened, with added defenses, and many of the Irish students went back there. But there were so many students that Hogwarts still needed additional staff. Garth Zimmeri began helping Flitwick by teaching 1-3rd year charms. Dirk McDiamond helped the headmaster out by teaching half of the Defense classes so that each month they'd switch. Both teachers worked out a schedule so that the students got rigorous well-rounded defense training. Whether or not he would last more than a year was anyone's guess but the ex-auror ex-assassin part-time Order agent was tough and seemed to know by heart every book on defensive spells and fighting spells ever written and Harry had never seen his like with a mace or a throwing star. 

**

Harry stood by the door watching the four snakes slither off into the forest, they'd be taken by hippogriff to a place near Satan's base a dropped off to spy on the dark apprentice. 

"As if Voldemort was not enough." Harry nodded in agreement and turned to face the headmaster who had been watching from a landing above.

"He can't keep them there for long, especially the dementors. They need prey and the others sure won't like that. 

"Therefore he must attack."

"Do you think he has broken away form Voldemort?"

"That would be to much to hope for, rival dark lords…no he's still Voldemort's, his right-hand-man but maybe it could be arranged so that each thought the other planned to turn against them?" Dumbledore suggested, Harry thought on it, use Voldemort's own tactics? Spilt his people the way he had for years spilt theirs between the Ministry and Order? 

"It could work. But with him there, with such an obvious force, Voldemort and he can both attack. Voldemort has only the best with him, Satan just has huge numbers." Harry said, trying to think of likely targets.

"Two pronged attack, to spread out the Order." Dumbledore said with a tired sigh.

"A two pronged attack to remove the Order form the Fortress for when he attacks it!" Harry growled angrily, Dumbledore joined him and they both walked out onto the grounds, Harry teleported them to the Fortress with a flash of lightning. 

**

So he intends to attack the Fortress itself, or maybe we are just meant to think that?" Sarlan said, maps of Satan's base and the numbers of followers spread out across the table along with reports from spies and patrols. The Council was sitting around, tired, it was nearly ten and they'd been at this since seven.

"Either way something must be done about that base." Alanna of the Copper said, rubbing her temples.

"Why not just let the muggles take care of that?" Harry suggested, catching everyone's attention, "we just need to find what country the base is in, then we give the muggles the maps and they bomb the base, nuke it maybe, problem solved."   
  
"Grand idea, Felara which part of the Broom Brigade is out in the field?" Sirius asked, Felara, the leader of the Broom Brigade, looked over a file.

"Oliver Wood and his division are out, so is Victor Krum and his." She said.

"Why use the Broom Brigade? That could take years. With Muggle satellite photos could be done in minutes. We could spell them so that if there are enchantments hiding the base from satellite they won't work." Miranda said.

"Can we do that without the muggles noticing?" Sirius asked, there were nods all around. "Okay then, once we find it, Sarlan you've got six spies doubling as muggle Intelligence Agents, one of them could leak the information to one of the muggle governments." 

"Which one? China, the USA, Russia, England, France, or Germany?" The spymaster asked, very proud of having agents in all six governments, he took great pride in his spy network. 

"Which one would be most likely to nuke them?" Miranda asked with a devilish look on her face, Satan had killed one of her patrol so she had personal reasons for wanting him dead and buried.

"The Chinese are angry because of those two attacks on those three small towns-fifty four dead, England would be only to happy to do so much of the war has been here and started here after all, and the USA's war on terrorism is looking for revenge because of that bombing a week ago in Las Vegas that killed forty." Sarlan supplied, there was a quick vote and it was decided to give the location of Satan's base to England, since they'd tell everyone else anyway. 

"I'll get our techno people and a few computer hackers to work on the satellites, and we've got an agent on that manned flight up to the Chinese's satellites…I forget what they're called, there's three, they're all meeting at one place for a upgrade." Miranda said leaving the room, Harry followed and teleported back to Hogwarts. Dumbledore would come back by apparition later. 

The other students were already asleep but Harry, Ira, and Draco met in a secret room to talk. Ron and Hermione had both gone to bed, but the three Quidditch players didn't feel like sleeping. They'd be playing against each other in a few days. Harry explained what was going on, both were very interested in what was happening with the war. Their opinion being that it had grown far to large, even the last time Voldemort had come to power it hadn't been nearly so big, or so deadly, it really was World War III. Though it was technically the first war in which the muggles and magic folk fought a common enemy, in was the first war in magical history to have such a high death toll in the magic community, Voldemort was the worst dark lord ever, and it was the longest war. The era of peace and minor dark lords who only killed a few dozen was over, now one wrong step could destroy the world. And the muggles were beginning to suspect, never before had they suspected that there might just be another culture hiding amidst their own, never had so many secret muggle societies started such immense searches for these people, it was only a matter of time until the muggles found out. Their technology was becoming to advanced, the magic folk couldn't hide their tracks as fast as the muggles could hunt them, the era of magic folk walking about on the muggles streets without worry was over, who knew where one of the muggle watchers might be hiding? 

**

She'll live, but that wound will take time to heal." Was the pronouncement of the healer upon finishing with Angelina's wound. Harry relaxed; Angelina had been with the Broom Brigade when they had received an emergency signal from two squad agents. Squad agents were the part or full-time agents who patrolled muggle towns and cities in squads (four agents) squad six of London had seen five death eaters dressed in muggle clothes on the outskirts of London near ten pm. The two agents who had seen them had been sitting outside a restaurant keeping an eye on passersby, when they used the link to contact the other half of their squad, who had been two blocks away, they received no reply. They had contacted Sirius, who immediately realized that both agents were alive, but badly hurt. The Broom Brigade had been the only division in London, and only eight of them were there. As soon as they met with the two remaining squad agents they had set out to locate the death eaters and their comrades, but had been attacked by the death eaters. After a hour long battle in the neighborhood Angelina and Kelly Brook had gotten trapped in a muggle parking garage they were being hunted by death eaters and Kelly had a bad wound on her leg, they had fled through the open sides of the parking complex. Outside two death eaters on broomstick had been waiting. Kelly had been killed in the aerial battle but Angelina had made it out with a horrible side wound. 

Voldemort's forces had been attacking in large groups like this since daybreak. Harry had left school immediately and come to help, with nearly six score dementors terrorizing small villages in India, vampires storming Washington DC, nine large death eaters groups attacking in the Caribbean, groups of death eaters taking over muggle battleships in the Pacific, two cruise liners falling prey to dementors, a hotel in Tokyo and all its residents being held hostage by Voldemort's muggle terrorists, an attack on La Paz, Bolivia by Mesmerd and two attacks going on in London the Order was spread thin and stressed. 

"Here's the deal, there's a group of ten death eaters in a residential neighborhood on the outskirts of London. There are five uninjured Broom Brigade members in the area, one seriously wounded. Squad six is also there, two badly hurt, one dead. Two of the Broom Brigade's brooms have been blown apart, one of them has lost his wand. Two death eaters have brooms; they have their wands and muggle fire arms of some sort." Harry said to the group forming outside. He'd be going in to rescue the agents and take care of the death eaters along with Kali, Severus, Caitlin, and Orion Black, Sirius's nine years younger brother. Not ideal fighting companions, but they'd do.

"What kind of arms are we bringing?" Orion asked, Harry knew that the Severus would of course be bringing various potions, Caitlin probably would too. For the rest of them…

"Semi automatic pistols, wands, knockout gas, grenades, and throwing daggers." He decided, "and anything else you feel like bringing. Angelina's given us the location, we'll take a portkey there, I'll teleport the wounded back here, Ministry wizards are coming in to handle muggles, and the muggle law enforcement officers should be there by now. We leave in eight minutes." They scattered to get their gear; Harry went to make the portkey. 

They arrived outside a large brick house…that was almost blown out of existence. Gunfire could be heard from somewhere behind it, between it and the motel in back. Kali and Harry went around one side, Severus and Caitlin the other, Orion hurried down the street to go through the motel parking lot. 

Harry pushed open a tiny gate and crept up to the end of the crumbing smashed house, careful not to trip on the loose tiles and bricks that scattered the ground. Three death eaters were standing over someone in the center of a tiny parking lot. Harry could guess that the person was an Order agents, and probably dead. He leaned out and looked around the corner, on the other side of the building Caitlin made a motion with her hand, signaling him to attack first. Harry looked around, across from the death eaters was the hotel, to his right was a parking garage. He crept into it, keeping in the shadows. He could see the broken window that Angelina and Kelly had flown out of. Once he was as close to the death eaters as he could get Harry lay down in the shadows, pressed against a wall and slowly leaned around it. The death eaters hadn't moved, he steadied himself and quickly leaned out and shot one of the death eaters, he fell without a cry, Harry ducked back inside, behind him Kali put up a shield around them.

One down. Harry sent to Caitlin and Severus. Then he saw Orion coming out of the hotel's back door, suddenly, from a balcony of the house next to the hotel two death eaters who had been hiding hurled spells at him. Orion, surprised, didn't duck fast enough and fell with a shout. Harry ran from the garage to where he'd fallen, Kali knocked one death eater out with a spell and followed him. Caitlin and Severus took out the two death eaters on the balcony, blowing it off the house as they did. 

Two more gone to meet their maker.

Orion? Harry asked, not daring to use words incase the death eaters heard. 

I'm okay, my left ankle hurts. Harry examined the sprained ankle and did a quick healing spell and unstunned him. Hearing shouts from the house next door, followed by a blast of blue light and gunfire the three ran inside, behind them the remaining two death eaters quickly succumbed to a cloud of noxious fumes released from some special potion Severus had thrown at them. Harry recognized it as one that vaporized upon touching oxygen, the fumes were deadly. 

Harry blasted open a door and ran through the room, another round of gunfire form upstairs, someone shouted the cruciatus curse and screams pierced the air. The three ran up the stairs and through a bullet riddled door into a large, trashed, room.

Cliff hanger! Mwahahahahah! Please review!


	12. Chapter 12 Another prophesy

I'm BACK! Sorry for the long wait, I was on vacation; I'll be leaving again on the 24th so I only have ten days to update everything!  
  
Warning: major plot point in this chapter.  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Cho Chang was lying on the floor screaming under the cruciatus curse. Oliver Wood was slumped against the wall behind her, blood flowing heavily from his shoulder, tears of pain streaking down his cheeks. Lacey Callao was pressed against one wall, cornered by two death eaters, one of whom held an ugly skinning knife. The other held his wand, and hers and Oliver's, Cho's wand lay on the dark green and purple rug that covered the floor, broken in two places.  
  
Harry assessed the situation in an instant and pushed the other two back out of sight, the death eaters hadn't seen them, nor had the other three.  
  
"Orion, you take the one who using the cruciatus curse on Chang. Kali get Cho and Oliver out of here and downstairs. I'll take the other two." They both nodded and Orion ran into the room and launched himself onto the death eater. The death eater turned to late, having just enough time to fire a stunning spell, which bounced of a shield, before he was tackled to the floor.  
  
Harry used a crushing curse on one of the remaining death eaters, crushing him into the floor. The other leaped at him, knife slashing wildly, Lacey ran around him and out the door, limping badly.  
  
Harry braced himself, ready for the attack, balanced lightly on the balls of his feet. As the death eater came within range he twisted to one side and grabbed the death eater's knife just below the tiny silver crosspiece. Pulling the knife and death eater closer two him he ducked and rolled to one side, reverting the death eaters momentum into downward motion so he slammed into the floor hard beside Harry. Harry had already role dot one knee and he slammed the knife hilt into the death eater's temple as the man's grip on it broke. He tied the death eater up then turned just as the other death eater, who was apparently some kind of body builder, hurled Orion into the wall.  
  
Harry leaped and lashed out with a roar, the man turned, just in time for the side of his face and head to come into contact with Harry's foot. He topple dot the floor, and then rolled over and stagger to stand.  
  
*He must have an incredibly thick skull* Harry thought, he ducked the death eater's fist and kicked the death eater hard in the stomach, yanking back his leg and falling, rolling sideways as the other tried to grab his foot. Launching himself from his kneeling position on the floor Harry landed a hard punch to the man's jaw and ducked back away, bringing out his wand he stunned him.  
  
Harry gathered their wands then levitated all three out the door and downstairs, just as a blats of magic from the upper window of the house next door sent Cho and Oliver flying. Oliver went crashing through a bush and landed hard on a huge mound of bark mulch, Cho crashed into the stone garage, her head cracked against it with a sickening impact and she slid to the ground.  
  
Thunder rumbled in the distance, Harry teleported into the next house, Severus was on the stairs, pressed flat against them, Caitlin had taken refuge in a doorway from the spells being hurled from above.  
  
"There's only two of them, one of them has a machine gun." Harry turned, Andrew Salico was lying at the bottom of the stairs, hidden by the thick banister, holding his cloak to his side, he was soaked in blood.  
  
"Is all of it yours?" Harry asked, kneeling beside him, Andrew shook his head and lifted the cloak to reveal two bullet wounds in his side and a long nasty bullet burn on his arm and another wound on his right ankle.  
  
"No, well most is.they got Sidney, put three rounds in her.ambushed us.and a killing curse." He gasped out, Harry healed the bullet burn and placed enough spells on his so he'd live long enough for the bullets to be removed and his wounds healed.  
  
"They must think us immortal." He turned back to the other two. "Move back, I've hand enough of this!" They both leaped back Harry raised his arms, with a thunderous blast lighting blew the room above clean out of existence, leaving it in tiny pieces, a mound of rubble. Harry summoned out the dead death eaters. He, Severus, and Caitlin raised their wands and shouted "Repario!" Slowly it fixed itself until it only looked like a small bomb had gone off.  
  
"Harry.Cho's dead." Orion told him when they rejoined the others, Harry took one look at her limp form, then knelt beside Oliver, who looked to be in severe pain.  
  
"H-Harry!" he gasped out, "I think I did something to my back.can't move my legs-" He was silenced as Harry swept his hand over Oliver's forehead, Oliver went limp, out cold. Harry did a quick examination of his wounds, a broken back, twisted arm, bullet hole through his shoulder, broken wrist.  
  
The other agents were found, most of them hurt, three of them bringing captured death eaters, the others managed to escape. Harry teleported the injured back to the Fortress in two groups, the others apparated back after the wards were lifted. Ministry wizards flooded in to modify memories and repair the houses.  
  
*** Harry spent all night in the Order's healer's wing helping to cure the curable. But by dawn the rest of the Order had returned with three more dead and seventeen more injured. In all eight death eaters were captured and eleven killed.  
  
You've been a great help Harry, but you should return to Hogwarts. Harry sighed and sent back a reply.  
  
Sure, there isn't much more I can do here anyway. He left just as a bell tolled midnight, completely exhausted.  
  
** "Mr. Potter are you sick?" Harry looked up from his desk, which had a watermelon on it that he had just transfigured from a rat to Professor McGonagal's slightly worried face. He'd been resting his head on his hand, half asleep.  
  
"No, I'm fine.just tired." He said, sitting up, the Professor gave him a long look, but then she was called away by an owl at the window.  
  
"You sure you're okay Harry? You look pale and dazed." Ira said, Harry blinked twice, no he wasn't okay, but he wasn't sure what was wrong.  
  
"Yeah I'm fine, just need to get more sleep."  
  
However by midday Harry quite sure that he was most definitely not fine, in fact he felt dizzy, hot, and exhausted. And his friends had noticed, his skin was pale and his eyes were a much more vivid, electric emerald green than was usual, which was saying something. And every time he looked at a fire his eyes glazed over in seconds, and began to glow. But Harry, unwilling to go into a trance or start giving a prophesy in front of the entire class, who would undoubtedly be terrified, refused to look at any fire long. By lunch time he was shaking just slightly when he moved to quickly and the edges of his vision were misted. But the vision refused to come into focus, even when he tried to get it to, and he had a terrible headache.  
  
Also at lunch he got a letter from some reporter wanting to interview him about the battle the day before. Harry wrote a letter with q quick summary, but spelled it so it couldn't be copied, not wanting it in the paper. And he didn't sign it, just put his seal on the envelope. Ira had pointed out that if the reporter figured out that having Harry write them a letter back was a way to get his autograph such owls'd plague him constantly.  
  
After dinner Harry slumped into a seat by the fire, sweating slightly. Finally he stood and went upstairs and into his rooms with his friends. He sat down in front of the fire, told Ira to write down everything he said, and allowed the dancing flames to mesmerize him.  
  
The darkness part, like someone was pushing a curtain out of the way, Voldemort was sitting on his throne, his apprentice Satan kneeling at his feet.  
  
"Satan you will find me one of the sources of magic, one of the obsidian skulls. That fool Potter doesn't understand them, I do and therefore an master them. They are the most destructive weapon there is, the Order of the Phoenix will surrender rather than have me bring them into play." Voldemort hissed, his scar hurt horribly. The vision faded. Now he was faced with Merlin.  
  
"Be careful Harry. You will need all your powers and strength for the coming battle. Voldemort has done the unthinkable and gotten hundreds of muggle terrorists on his side, though they do not know what he is." Then he faded, then another came, everything was very badly blurred, reds, blacks, grays, oranges, fuzzy colors everywhere, he was looking down on them from.a stairway, but who were they, what was happening. Ah, he was in the Entrance Hall. But what was going on? Then it faded away.  
  
A voice was speaking, calmly, his voice.but what was he saying, how was he speaking so calmly and quietly through so much pain? Searing heat in his scar, he felt like he was being torn apart. Then silence, Harry blinked twice, and nearly fell into the fire, Draco grabbed his shoulder just in time.  
  
"Thanks.what did I say?" he asked, turning to Ira, who read aloud from the parchment.  
  
Peace shall lie over land and sea, Until the great evil arrives, With a wicked horde, Driving a warrior to pick up his sword, The challenger rings then, straight and fair, Justice is with us, beware. Beware!  
  
"Ah, such great wisdom! And what in the name of everything good are we supposed to get out of that?" Ron asked scathingly.  
  
"That's easy, everything was peaceful until Voldemort came." Draco said.  
  
"Then who is this warrior who is being driven to pick up his sword?" Ron asked.  
  
"Ah.Harry." Hermione said.  
  
"But that's already happened!" Ron retorted.  
  
"No.I.no.it has not." Harry said suddenly, in a soft but firm voice, his eyes looked thoughtful, the glowing green had calmed to a turquoise-green, still and calm, the usual mesmeric glitter and blaze gone. But he also looked slightly worried.  
  
"Harry?" Ira asked him.  
  
"Thanks for writing that down. I know what it means, I think." Here he paused for thought then said, "there are dark times ahead of us.the challenge.Voldemort and his army.must be met, but not now. That was of the future, and the present."  
  
"Harry speak English! What are you rambling on about?" Ron said impatiently. Harry gave him a slightly annoyed look.  
  
"Just a thought but, the peace has ended-"  
  
"Harry we know that! It ended three years ago!" Harry continued as if Ron had not spoken.  
  
"-Voldemort came with his horde, that is where we are in the battle right now. The next part is yet to come."  
  
Ron plainly didn't get it, but Ira was giving Harry a very thoughtful look, and he could see Draco was thinking hard, and a flicker of understanding in his eyes. Hermione sniffed.  
  
"As I know I've said countless times, divination is very imprecise, a waste of time really. Ignore it Harry, you're already fighting." She and Ron left to do homework, the other two waited until they were gone.  
  
"But she's wrong! You're Seer abilities have saved us all how many times now? How many times do you have to be right before she gets it? You're not that great fraud of a teacher that's teaching divination!" Ira said angrily after the door had closed behind Ron and Hermione.  
  
"But you are fighting already.it is rather confusing." Draco pointed out.  
  
"No, I'm not really fighting. I'm still in school, no, I have not yet truly begun to fight." Harry said quietly, both of them looked at him.  
  
"Zeesh, I wouldn't want to be on your bad side when you truly begin to fight, if this is just preparatory!" Ira said.  
  
"I'll forward this to the Order, and my visions, Voldemort is after the other skulls, he wasn't to use them as weapons." Harry said, standing he took out the dream recorder, checking to make sure that the prophesy was in it, them went to find Hedwig. When he returned, Zarith on his shoulder, Ira was till there, Draco having departed for his own dormitory in the dungeons.  
  
"Going to have anymore trances?" She asked him, after a moment's thought Harry replied.  
  
"No, not today anyway. Come on, we'd better start on our homework." 


	13. Chapter 13 The Reorganization of Hogwart...

Chapter 13 The Reorganization of Hogwarts  
  
Harry was sitting across from Sirius, Miranda, and Sarlan. The four of them had been going over the records of the past two years of the fight. The records showed a terrible story. They were getting nowhere, infact they were losing ground. Slowly Voldemort was overcoming them. He watched them all as the three closed the last of the files.  
  
"Okay Harry, it's bad, but I know you, you have a plan in mind, and you did when we first started this. Go ahead, what is it?" Miranda asked him, Harry tried not to glare, how had she known? He shrugged it off and began to outline his plan, it was risky, but the resistance was weakening, it needed to rise again.  
  
***  
  
"So Voldemort wants the skulls does he?" Dumbledore said, looking rather amused for some odd reason.  
  
"Yes." Harry replied, he was seated in an armchair in Dumbledore's office. Also in the room was Snape, McGonagal and Miranda.  
  
"And here I thought he was intelligent." Miranda said with an un-lady-like snort.  
  
"If he gets those skulls he could kill everything!" This from a slightly horrified Snape.  
  
"Ah but does he have anyone on his side who can get near them?" Dumbledore mused thoughtfully.  
  
"Not likely, the skulls seem to favor those who are loyal to the rest of humanity, the Order agents whom I've tested all have higher than average results. Voldemort is trying to destroy most of humanity, he can't use them." Harry said, Snape relaxed a bit.  
  
"Well there's nothing to worry about then." He said, relieved.  
  
"On the contrary there is." Harry replied, he explained about the odd splotch of gold slowly coming into being on the skull's forehead, and how he was drawn to it, but couldn't touch it. "It may be nothing, but I doubt it, and I don't think it has anything to do with Voldemort."  
  
"You're the researcher, what do you think would get it to show its purpose?" Miranda asked him. Harry thought hard, but nothing came to mind, he shrugged helplessly.  
  
"I have no idea."  
  
"Well keep us informed about it will you?" Dumbledore asked Harry nodded and left the room. Once the door shut Albus turned to Miranda. "Okay, I know you didn't come here just to chat. What's going on?" He asked her, Miranda shrugged her long blond hair back over one shoulder and leaned forward, her crystal-like, aqua, purple rimmed, eyes becoming deadly serious.  
  
"Voldemort has been gathering more and more creatures and people to him. The muggles are frantic to stop him; right now there's been a meeting of all the world's governments to decide what to do. They're so scared they're actually cooperating! We would have given them Satan's base, but he's made it unplotable on a map and there's more muggle repelling enchantments on it that Hogwarts has. Most of the 1st and 2nd world countries have been trying to ferret out the muggle terrorist organizations in their countries. We do know that Satan's being thorough and well organized. And that Voldemort is really behind it, but he can't be everywhere. Satan's just his right-hand-man. There's one group of terrorists in every country, each has a leader, those leaders report directly to death eaters, hand-chosen by Voldemort. Satan gathers their reports and relays order between the terrorists and Voldemort. All of the terrorist groups think they're fighting for the person who's going to conquer the world. He gives them bits and pieces of his views, and promises them survival by joining him.  
  
But the wizarding world isn't that easy. He needs people to be even more afraid and disorganized than they are now. And what has been a center for organization? Rebellion against him? What's been turning out witches and wizards who fight him? What SCHOOL has been a thorn in his side since he first began? HOGWARTS! He'll attack Albus, and soon, he needs Hogwarts and everyone in it out of his way." She sat back a little to watch their reactions.  
  
"We knew he would attack." McGonagal said.  
  
"I mean he needs to dispose of you soon." Miranda said firmly. Albus sighed and nodded he had known it would come to this.  
  
"The students helped to fight him two years ago, but its different now. It's not just Hogwarts, its everyone. Albus.Sirius and I are going to change the Order of the Phoenix...and all wizarding society.drastically. And we need your help, we need the Hogwarts students." Albus looked up and met her eyes. He trusted both her and Sirius with his life, and they clearly had a plan brewing.  
  
"Okay, what did you have in mind?"  
  
***  
  
Janice, Pearl, Stilgar, and the rest of the third year students, seventy- two in all, entered the great hall. The doors clanged shut behind them, the confused students looked around, they had been told to report here, what was going on. Then twelve death eaters stepped out of the shadows.  
  
Terrified the students bunched together. The death eaters formed a loose circle around them. Many of the students slowly drew their wands.  
  
"Put those away." Snarled one death eater, who appeared to be the leader.  
  
"How did you get in here?" Janice asked in a shaky voice.  
  
"We just thought we'd drop by for a visit.attack!" Stunning spells leaped form their wands, almost mechanically the students put up flimsy shields, but together it was enough, and no one was stunned.  
  
"Think that'll save you huh? Weaklings!" The death eaters laughed.  
  
"Don't let them scare you, everyone in the outer circle keep your shields up, everyone else, stunning.expeliarmus.hexes." Pearl said quickly to the others. The formation was one they'd been taught by some older students, a circle of shields, others firing spells through the shields outward. It worked only with the half shield, which created a circular shield in front of the person. Spells could only penetrate it one way.  
  
The death eaters fired stunning spells, the shields held, the students fought back, some were to scared, one girl started to scream, another to cry. After ten minutes all were stunned. Then the death eaters suddenly vanished. The stunning spells were removed. The third years stood up shakily.  
  
"Well done, you fought back, good work." They all looked towards the door, there stood the professors.  
  
"This, students, was a test of how you would perform under an attack. You did well, it could have been better but you did well. Now you've got a half hour until lunch, how about you go back to your dormitories?" The headmaster suggested. The confused students left.  
  
***  
  
After two weeks everyone got used to it, twice a week students were called down to the great hall in groups. After the first time it was no longer by year, the first and second years were never called down, just third and above. Harry fought with the rest, but he knew the overall plan, the others didn't. Finally one evening Dumbledore stood to speak.  
  
"Students I'm sure you've all noticed some changes happening. And now it's about to change even more. Tomorrow morning when you wake up the school will have been expanded; a new wing is being built on the grounds. We will call it the Lower School. The first, and second, years dormitories and classes will be held in this building, they will still be organized by house. For the rest of you the changes will be more drastic." He waited for the whispers to subside.  
  
"For all students third year and above, forget whatever house you're in. There will be no house cup this year, and Quidditch is over. You will be sorted in groups, we'll call them armies, and each will have an animal. Since there are 532 of you there will be 28 armies, with 19 people in each. Each army will have a commander for it, a seventh year. You will live in the same dorm with your army, eat with your army, and fight with your army. Classes will still be by year. Prefects, please turn in your badges." He smiled out over the confused, shocked, and excited mass of students. "Everything will become clearer tomorrow, there will be no classes tomorrow while we all adjust to the change. Now lets eat!"  
  
"Okayyy, I didn't really understand that at all." Ron said in confusion.  
  
"We're being divided into teams, only they're called armies. 28 teams, 19 per team, of all ages, house doesn't matter. Will do everything with our army except have classes. 1st through 3rd years are going to another building, they'll live there." Harry explained shortly, Ron still didn't seem to get it.  
  
"Oh I hope we're all in the same army." Hermione said with worry.  
  
Harry personally thought that this was an excellent idea. They'd learn how to fight, and create stronger friendships and loyalties, and they'd be ready to fight. He knew what the long range goal was. Slowly take over the world, because if they didn't, Voldemort would. Only they would spread peace, and they would keep the peace. Eventually Voldemort would have no where to go, the whole world would be peaceful, and they would all be strong and ready to fight him. It would take years, but he had no doubt it would work.  
  
Yesterday he'd decided to put aside the skulls, he could learn no more from them, and he was busy enough without them. Now he concentrated his spare time on the potion he was brewing to revive those poor comatose people at Saint Mungo's.  
  
** The next morning was utter confusion everyone ate breakfast, then the rest of the school stayed in the great hall while the 1st through 2nd years went over to the other building. They were kept in their houses, the only changes would be that they would have very little or no contact with the rest of the school, they even ate in the other building. And they had their own set of teachers.  
  
The remaining staff of the Upper School quieted the excited students, then Dumbledore stood with a long roll of parchment.  
  
"I will now announce the armies, when you hear your name come up to the table, one of the professors will lead you to your new dormitory with the rest of your army. Now, Bat army, Commander: Dean Thomas." Dean gaped then walked up, Dumbledore called off the other eighteen, and Professor Sinastra led them away.  
  
Next came the Horse army which Ira was in command of, then Draco got command of the Barracuda army, and then the Dog army, Hermione was put in charge of the Squirrel army, she led her eighteen away, which included Ginny.  
  
Harry got command of the Wolf army, Professor Snape led them to their new rooms. There was one long rectangular room, which was divided in half by a silver curtain. One side for the girls, one for the boys, each side had two bathrooms. The beds were small and line dup end to end along both walls, and each had gray curtains around it. Each person had two shelves attached to the board at the foot of the bed and a small stand attached to the right side of the bed. Their trunks went under the bed.  
  
Harry, the commander, had his own small triangular room with a small bathroom off of it. In it was a bed, a small filing cabinet next to a desk that had a chair at it. There was another chair on the other side of the room. A single window let in light and there were three brackets for torches, two above the desk, one above the bed, and two in the bathroom. On the desk sat a folder with instructions, Harry looked it over very quickly, he'd written most of it so he knew it.  
  
The first thing Harry did was go and see his army, they were all choosing beds, he waited for them to be finished then called for their attention.  
  
"Okay team, first thing will be to get all your things down here. Since there isn't much room please keep your things neat and organized. The people who make a mess can sweep, wash windows, dust, and clean the bathrooms since there's an inspection every Sunday by a teacher, and whenever else I think it looks too messy." There were a few groans.  
  
"Secondly if anyone ever sees Mrs. Norris in here feel free to dye her fur however you want and we'll deliver her to Filch's office." This last was greeted with a moment of silence then laughter. Harry smiled and told them to go get their stuff, he'd shrunk his own and brought it with him. 


	14. Chapter 14 Training the Fighters

NOTICE: If you read Chapter 13 on July 15th read it again before reading this, I've changed it a bit.  
  
  
  
Chapter 14  
  
2 seventh years, 4 sixth years, 4 fifth years, 5 fourth years, 3 third years. Not a bad team, Harry mused as he looked over the list, noting that he had both the McKinnion twins and Stilgar in his army. However he did have Neville, and Clarissa, and Dennis Creevy.all of which were known for being klutzy, forgetful, and in Dennis's case easily over excited to the point of hysteria. Oh well, at least they were an enthusiastic lot. He'd have to start from scratch in training them, just the basics, and work them hard at it. Drill, drill, drill. Of course, there was a way around that.  
  
Harry put all his things away; he gave his army a half hour to get their stuff sorted out then went back into their barracks. They were all sitting on their beds talking, the curtain between the girls and boys rooms pushed back to everyone could talk. They all fell silent as he came in.  
  
"Now that you've all settled in. Classes have been rescheduled; we'll all get our new schedules tomorrow. Classes are organized by year. I've arranged for us to have our practices every day from 5:30 a.m. to 6:45, which then leaves you 45 minutes afterward before breakfast. On Saturday it's from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m." He listened to the complaints at the times.  
  
"Come on, why so early?"  
  
"Hey people, Bat army has practice from 4:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. And Mouse army has that early practice on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday." There was a long pause. "And you don't want to practice right before class or right after, or just before a meal. This way you'll have time to shower and gather your books for classes after practice." There were nods all around.  
  
"Secondly, we no longer have houses, so forget it, but we do have our mascot, the wolf. Each army is required to wear an mage of their mascot on upper arms of their robes." He handed out small pieces of black cloth, each with a 2 inch by 3-inch wolf on it in grays with the words 'Wolf Army' in silver. "Just press these to the arms of your robes." They did so, the wolves appeared in the correct places on their robes, the black cloth vanished.  
  
Harry also had the two wolves, one on each sleeve, but he also had a badge, which read, Wolf Army Commander and had their wolf on it.  
  
"Now I'm required to turn in a general progress report on how I think the army is doing every month, I also have to turn in a small report on each of you as an individual, so please no messing around. If you feel like playing pranks on the other armies tell everyone first and we'll all decide on it." He stopped to let them catch up.  
  
"All the armies have been scheduled to fight against one another, but this doesn't mean we should be enemies, remember that. We won't know when our battles are or who our opponents are until the day of the battle. We won't have any battles for at least three weeks, so we have three weeks to train and create some strategies, then we can expect a battle a week. We have the rest of the day off so we should all try and finish our homework. I've signed us up for a practice this afternoon at 4:00 so get done by then if possible." Harry went back into his room, leaving the door open, he could hear them talking and getting out their work. Each of them had been given a lap desk to work on and in each of the barracks, boys and girls, there was an oval table with six stools around it.  
  
*** "I live solely to serve my Lord, the Dark King, to my death and beyond." The kneeling death eater whispered through gritted teeth as Voldemort burned the dark mark into her arm.  
  
"Good, good," Voldemort hissed, the death eater screamed as the mark melted into her flesh, smoking. Voldemort pressing a finger to the mark, finally the screaming death eater stopped, she'd passed out. Voldemort tapped a finger to the mark, "enervate," the new death eater stirred and blinked twice, then kissed the hem of his robes and went into a place in the circle. Another death eater came forwards and knelt at Voldemort's feet, holding out his left arm which Voldemort took and slowly began to trace the mark onto with one finger as the soon-to-be death eater recited the oath. Swirling dark mists enveloped him and the circle of waiting death eaters vanished.  
  
A new image took form, again the circle of cement cells, eight in all, in a circle. Death eaters sitting on top of them all around. Voldemort in his throne atop one of the cells, his newest death eaters sitting amongst the rest. Two of the cells door opened, two young boys of about eleven came out, they each held a short spear in one hand and were dressed only in deer skin pants and vests, one of them had a nasty scar down his arm, from a previous fight no doubt. They saluted the death eaters and bowed to Voldemort before circling warily.  
  
When the scene finally faded, when one of them dropped over dead with the other's spear through his stomach, dark mists closed in, then everything became a blaze of copper, silver, and turquoise, the three colors running together in spirals and sign everywhere. And Harry heard a voice speaking, a sit finished he felt a tremendous bolt of pain across his scar and woke with a gasp, blood running down his face.  
  
"Oh my god! Harry!" Harry looked around, Stilgar, Neville, and a fifth year named Roald were standing at the door, he sat up and grabbed his wand, conjuring up bandages to wrap around hiss car, before hopping out of bed and going into the bathroom to wash the blood off his face.  
  
"It's okay guys, that just happens sometimes." He said, trying to reassure them.  
  
"It's certainly not okay." Neville replied, most of the army was in his room when he emerged from the bathroom, wrapping a bandage around the still bleeding scar.  
  
"Did I say anything?" Harry asked curiously.  
  
"Yeah, you screamed twice, that's what woke us, we came in here and saw your scar bleeding.you were twitching, then you calmed and started talking, only from far away, then you screamed again and woke up." Stilgar said.  
  
"Do you remember what I said?" Stilgar thought for a moment.  
  
"Yes I do remember.  
  
Truth is a song, oft lying unsung, Some mother bird, protecting her young, Those who lay down their lives for friends, The echo rolls onward, it seldom ends.  
  
That was all." he finished, Harry nodded calmly and wrote it down, thanked them, and told them to get back to bed. He however did not sleep, but spent the rest of the night looking over the two prophecy's he had made carefully.  
  
***  
  
"Balance Neville!" The clumsy boy nearly toppled over with shock as Harry shouted from behind him. Harry had his entire team up on balance beams, really thin ones. It had been nearly a week and he hadn't started working on any fighting yet, if they were going to fight he wanted them to be good. And for that they needed reflexes and balance.  
  
At the end of the practice the Wolves left to shower before breakfast, some of them muttering rebelliously about the endless balancing exercises and reflex exercises Harry had been putting them through. Harry however was noticing definite improvement, no one in his army tripped over anything anymore, he'd threatened to make those who tripped the most clean the bathrooms. They never dropped anything from clumsiness, and if someone else dropped something they were quick at catching it. All of them could walk on a thin wobbly strip of wood about an inch wide, so regular balance beams were no problem. He'd made them spend four practices catching cats. He'd created a maze throughout the gym and caught two dozen alley cats and set them loose in it. They had to catch all of them wandlessly; many of them still bore the scratch marks.  
  
And they hadn't practiced a single spell, the other armies spent hours and hours working with magic, the Wolf army hadn't spent a minute on it. All of them could do a good stunning spell, and all of them could disarm an opponent. With just those and the speed and reflexes they had been developing Harry was sure that they could take on any of the other teams.  
  
"Alright everyone, I know you've all been very unhappy with our first week of practice." There was a loud rumble of agreement. "On Monday we'll be starting with spells, and you'll see that there is a very good reason I've been making you practice balance and reflexes. Even with just stunning and disarming spells this army could take on any of the others and stand an excellent chance of beating them. Or are you scared to fight them?" This last was slightly contemptuous.  
  
"We're not afraid!" Janice McKinnion shouted. Harry nodded approvingly.  
  
"Fear cuts deeper than swords, we do not fear." He said simply, and waited for someone to voice what was really bugging them.  
  
"But we don't want to lose." Neville murmured.  
  
"A fighter who fears losing has already lost. Monday we will start on battle tactics and dueling, until then, follow what I've taught you, let nothing faze you or surprise you, watch, listen, and be wary. A true fighter sees with all his senses, watch the other armies, are they quick? Well balanced? Alert? Keep to the shadows and watch the others. Wolves are the ones who watch form the forests and do not make their presence known until they attack. We are the ones whom others see only from the corner of their eyes, and they look we are gone. Swift as a deer, quick as a snake-" The others started repeating the words he had taught them to live by, the words that had become their mantra.  
  
"-Calm as still water, light on our feet as a feather upon the air, amorphous as shadows in candlelight, silent and unseen as the stalking wolf." Harry nodded in approval as they ended the chant, 18 pairs of eyes watched him silently, he had drilled those words into them over the past week, he'd enchanted them so that all during the night their only thoughts were those words repeating over and over in their minds. He'd enchanted their dreams so that all they saw were swift silent forms of wolves, a pack on the run. Of course none of them knew he caused this.  
  
He was pleased with their improvement, even as they watched the rest of the school and him, he watched them. They had learned well, they never wasted a movement, graceful and quick, they worked hard and helped each other. He had watched them slowly develop their own hierarchy in the army, and it was this natural hierarchy that he would base his battle plans on.  
  
"Well done for today people, now lets go to breakfast." They all leaped up and filed out, slipping effortlessly into the shadows as they joined the crowd heading for the great hall. The other armies might march down in style, or shamble along sleepily, but the wolf army flitted about the shadows noting everything that went on around them.  
  
The great hall had been changed, there was a table for each army and then a large separate table for the commanders. The teachers still sat at their table. Harry went over to the large circular commander's table, it was just below the staff table. Behind it were 28 rectangular tables where the armies ate. The commanders had better full backed chairs, but their armies sat on benches, the commanders also had their own lounge and bathroom (formerly the prefect's bathroom)  
  
"Hey Harry, how's everything in Wolf Army?" Ira asked him, Harry smiled and sat down beside her, he had timed his arrival to that he was last, he looked around and noted that all the others seemed to be watching him.  
  
"Very well thanks, we'll start our dueling training on Monday, they're all excited." The other 27 commanders stared. The Wolf army hadn't started their dueling training yet?  
  
"What on earth have you been doing for a week then?" Draco asked suspiciously.  
  
"Learning to follow orders and how to balance on a balance beam. I've got some of the worst klutzes in the school in my army." There were chuckles all about, but Harry could tell that all were storing that away, the Wolf army would only have had two weeks actual practice when the first battles came. Dinner continued, Harry acted annoyed that his army would only have two weeks dueling practice, but not quite too annoyed. By the time the meal ended he was sure he had them all fooled into thinking that the Wolves would be easy to beat.  
  
But they sure as hell were not going to be easy! He sent out people on spy duty, to watch the other team's practices. There was a secret passage that led behind one wall of the gym, and in it Harry had put well-hidden spy holes. The gym was nearly two stories high, and the spy holes were about sixteen feet off the ground, so no one should notice them. Harry himself had created the passageway, it was little more than a crawl space, three feet high and three feet wide. Everyone took a turn, normally two people watching each practice, and he'd managed to create a sort of competition, see who could remember the best details. He had him or her record every word spoken by the other team, by magic, and each person would record the practice visually. Harry wrote down summaries of each and every practice and asked those who had been watching for their report/analysis of the other army when they came back from each spying mission, with this he could track the other armies progress.  
  
***  
  
"Okay dear, done, you're still going to have a slight limp, but that's the best I can do." Madam Pomfrey told Harry as he woke. She had been trying to correct the limp he had been left with after his fight with the elementals last year. Harry nodded and stood, testing his battered left leg gingerly. He walked around the hospital wing once.  
  
"Thanks madam Pomfrey." He said with a smile, it was much better, still a noticeable limp, but nothing that would really slow him down. Harry checked his watch, great if he hurried he'd get to the last half hour of practice.  
  
On the way down to the gym he met up with Draco. The other was just coming out of the commander's lounge and nearly bumped into Harry.  
  
"Oh hi Harry, how's the leg?"  
  
"Much better, but I'll still limp when I walk."  
  
"Sorry, McGonagal was just announcing the first battles, they'll be this Sunday." Harry frowned a little, pretending to be worried.  
  
"Finally.how's your army doing?" he asked, his voice just a tiny bit strain and with just a slight touch of nervousness.  
  
"Very well, I'm confident we'll do fine, we've got some great duelers." Draco smirked, Harry nodded, perhaps just a little too sharply, and cleared his throat.  
  
"Ahem, well uh good luck in your battle." He walked off, behind him Draco grinned, so wolf army wasn't ready to fight yet were they? The other commanders who had been listening form inside the lounge all traded looks of slight relief, they knew Harry had a bad army, so that was one army they had a good shot of beating.  
  
None of them would have been nearly so pleased had they seen the grin that broke out on Harry's face as soon as the gym doors shut behind him. Inside his eighteen fighters, in two groups of five and two groups of four, were practicing.  
  
They had been told that the battle room would be filled to the ceiling with ladders, stairways, platforms, rooms with trap doors, walls every which way, or maybe it would be empty. Currently they were practicing as if it were filled with things. Following a battle plan Harry had built the groups carefully moved about, ten of them were the 'bad guys' while the other two groups, both of four, tried to get them all. Finally they finished and Harry called everyone back to the open area of the gym.  
  
"Okay troops, you were looking good out there. We just need to practice turning corners." He set up a large open maze, but made sure that it had plenty of corners.  
  
"Alright, squads A, you've got the far right corner, the red one, enter there and try to get to the blue corner. B you start at blue, try to get to the yellow corner, C you start at yellow, try to get to the green corner, D you'll start at green, try to get to red. Mark you uniforms so you know your squad members. Take out anyone who isn't in your squad, I'll join the B squad."  
  
Ten minutes later all the squads except for B were stunned, not one of Harry's squad was stunned. By the end of practice he'd led each squad in turn, showing the squad leaders what to do. He then sent them all out there again, since tow of the squads had five he took those two extra people with him, the three of them managed to defeat the rest of the army. Then they tried a few formation attacks, just for fun, as Harry said. He left the gym, highly pleased with his army. Under Harry's careful training they had become excellent fighters. Each squad was a tightly knit unit loyal to their squad leader, and all of them utterly in awe of Harry and completely loyal to him, he had no worries of any of them trading the armies secrets away.  
  
*** Six people suddenly appeared inside Stonehenge.  
  
"Are you sure this is it?" Fred Weasely asked the young man beside him. The other looked about, emerald eyes missing nothing.  
  
"The phoenix's can sense the sources of magic Fred. If they say this is it, then it is." He turned to three phoenixes that were perched atop a rock. "This is it then Zarith?" The phoenix in the middle, slightly smaller and younger looking than the other two, nodded its head and gave a small trill in reply.  
  
By evening the SPD team had dug into the ground until they hit a stone wall, digging around the realized that the stone must be the chamber. Harry, doing a careful examination of the stone, was not surprised to find that it was the exact same type of rock that the other skull had been housed in.  
  
"Everyone you had best leave, I'll go in and get the skull and pedestal, then you can come back and copy the chamber walls, and remove the bodies." Harry said, staring at the rock, the SPD team apparated away. Harry, rather than blowing a hole in the wall, melted a doorway into it. He was almost through when he heard the pops that announced someone apparating nearby. He whirled and ducked; pulling out his wand he set up a shield before hurled stunning spells at the ten masked figures about him. Caught by surprise them threw a variety of curses at him, namely the unforgivables. Harry vanished in a flash of lightning. The light blinded the death eaters momentarily and the crash deafened them. They did not here or see Harry immediately reappear behind a stone.  
  
They approached the chamber cautiously down the short passage, no sooner had they reached the door then spells hit them from behind. Six of them went down, stunned, another was hit with a contorting curse and another disarmed.  
  
Outside Harry caught the wand and attacked again, lightning leaped form his finger tips into the short tunnel followed by a stunning spell and two body binds. He slowly entered, wand out, then stood, all ten were laying on the ground, Harry sighed and shook his head. Wondering they'd realize that he was saving their lives. The skull would have killed them if they had entered the chamber. He teleported them back to the Fortress.  
  
Sirius? . Sirius?  
  
Harry?  
  
I was just attacked by death eaters, but they didn't know how to duel, I'm teleporting them to the Fortress grounds.  
  
Alright, be careful with that skull.  
  
I will. Harry sent the message then continued melting through the chamber wall. Finally he removed the section of rock he had melted out, allowing the air that had been in there for centuries and centuries to escape before he entered. He ducked his head and stepped through the stone wall, he straightened slowly and allowed his eyes to become accustomed to the light, what he saw made him gasp with shock.  
  
  
  
  
  
Haha cliffie! Please review! 


	15. Chapter 15 Battles and Visions

Authors Note: If you've got a weak stomach you might want to skip the first paragraph or so.  
  
Chapter 15  
  
The chamber was covered in the mushy remains of probably dozens of people. Only three, the Atlantians, hadn't been de-moleculed in piles of gunk. It was the most sickening sight he'd ever seen. Mush that had once been humans, just lying there like soup all over the floor. Grayish, soggy, and some pinkish red and tan piles of jelly-like ooze. Harry whirled around and puked on the passageway's floor. When he'd finally finished turned his stomach inside out he went back in, forcing himself to ignore the mess which for some reason hadn't decayed at all. Disgusted he looked at the black obsidian skull that sat on its pedestal in the center of the chamber, oblivious to the carnage it had caused.  
  
By the bodies clothes he could see that they were from all different walks of life and from different times. Two of them must have been dressed in skins, others in 18th century clothing, one appeared to be a Roman soldier, he recognized the armor. Stepping back he waved his wand, cleaning up the horrid mess. When all of it was finally gone except for the three dead Atlantians, who were as perfect as the day they died, he summoned the skull and pedestal to him. He wrapped it in black felt and vanished in a flash of lightning.  
  
Harry wrote a detailed report of the mission, and of what he'd seen inside the chamber. The SPD was copying the chamber's walls and removing the bodies, Harry was sure he'd have nightmares for weeks. The skull was no different from the other, and he didn't have time to look at the inscriptions just yet. And he didn't want to go back in there for a while.  
  
** Late into the night Harry sat at his desk, Zarith perched on a golden perch beside him, fast asleep, studying a book on the sources of magic. It was terribly incorrect and poorly written, but it had some legends about the sources of magic that must be centuries old, telling about people who found them, then vanished mostly. They had their first battle the next day, Harry wasn't worried, they were up against Bat.  
  
Early the next morning Harry woke his team and got them up. He had them take a short run outside, then they went to their battle. Confident, everyone though the Wolves were soft, slow, and easy to take out, that idea was going to be done away with quickly.  
  
"Stilgar, Janice, Pearl." The three looked at him, Harry handed them each a Bilywig stinger. "You know what to do." They all nodded, once they poked themselves with these they be able to fly. "The rest of you, into your squads, I'm with C." Harry said as they waited outside the door. Finally it rose up and they ran inside.  
  
Inside only two torches lighted the room, one at each end. The walls were a very dark blue/purple, nearly black. The room was basically empty, but in the center there were eight-foot high walls built every which way. And near each door was another small maze. A squad began to build in traps and enchantments around their door. B ran off along one wall and into on of the many entrances to the center maze. Harry led C straight through the middle. The three youngest students rose up into the air and floated above them, protected by shield spells cast by all their team mates before the battle and locked onto them, these shields would only last a half hour. D squad levitated themselves over one of the walls and went in from there. Self- levitation was so difficult and draining that they couldn't do any more of it than that. Many people couldn't do any at all.  
  
Harry's team went right in, Harry knew that the Bat's door was to the west. "Point me." He whispered to his wand, they took a right turn. The walls were thin plywood, Harry considered just blowing them all out of the way all the way to the other door. But thought better of it, preferring the cat and mouse game in the maze.  
  
"Six dead ahead C." Pearl said softly, all of them had enhanced their senses, but the Bat's hadn't and didn't hear.  
  
"Blast the wall out of the way." Harry said pointing to a sharp corner in the wall, he and Neville ran ahead, the others stopped and sent spells blasting through the wall.  
  
"Reducto! Reducto!" Blasts of red light, the other teams shouts, Harry and Neville stunned them while they were still shocked, the rest of the squad caught up. B squad ran into four Bat's. There was a quick skirmish, one Wolf stunned, two Bats tied up two stunned. The Bats were sent up to the floaters who kept them, not wanting the other team to revive them. The Wolf was revived and B continued. A finished with their door and followed Harry's squad in.  
  
D waited as bait, talking loudly, the Bats attacked, thinking they were unseen, C squad struck from behind as they blasted away a wall. Harry and his squad rounded the corner just as the walls were falling away; the three Bats were effectively trapped between the two groups. Three more Bats down. B squad finished the center maze and went into the next one, the others waited in the maze. A near the Wolves door, D off in the right side, C now in the middle and spread out so they blocked the left.  
  
One by one the last five Bats were ferreted out and stunned. Then the Wolves went through the last maze to the door, following the floaters directions. In all it had taken less than twenty minutes.  
  
** After the battle the commanders met in their lounge, an embarrassed Dean Thomas looking at the floor. All the Bats had been taken out, Wolf had only had two stunned. Harry had personally accounted for seven Bats. But the other teams still didn't think that Wolf was much of a problem, one lucky battle, that was all.  
  
Then Dog army, led by Laura Zekra of Hufflepuff, fell to the Wolves. The room had been completely empty, the wolves had put out one torch and made the other into just a two inch high one inch wide flame, flickering constantly. And they had conjured up so much mist that wind spells and light spells did no good. In the dark they attacked, using the shadows and their other senses, they had all worn dark grays that looked like mist, communicating by touch and notes (which had to be held close to the face to read) they had taken out every single Dog. The formation they had used had been so drilled into them that they didn't need to see or hear each other really to work it. They just depended on each other and covered the room. Crawling low so as not to be seen.  
  
Next went Mouse army, led by Terry Boot of Ravenclaw. It had been a tough battle in a well-lighted room, a room filled two and a half feet deep with water and with plastic balls floating nearly a foot thick on the surface. Small platforms had been put up here and there. Using charms to make them light, and transfigurations to make them swim fast and see and breathe under water as well as making the platforms move where they needed them the Wolves got them all, but four of their own were stunned. Harry was so pleased by the victory that he let them skip the after-battle practice he had been making them do, finding ways to improve their performance next time.  
  
**  
  
Death Eater Attack In the Bahamas Leaves Seven Dead, Including The United States of America's Vice-President.  
  
Harry read the article; the Order had managed to save the resorts other seventy-three guests. But the seven had been tortured under the cruciatus curse before they had died. One Order agent had been killed, Katie Bell. Gryffindor was a mess with students grieving for their former chaser. That was the second former Hogwarts Quidditch player lost in three weeks. The first had been Cho Chang, former seeker.  
  
The next page of the newspaper was more interesting.  
  
Elves Back at Hogwarts  
  
The king and queen of the elves will once again be journeying to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to discuss elf/human relations.  
  
It continued for some ways, the elves would be coming in one week. How nice, Harry would of course have to give them an update on the skulls, he looked forward to it. If only he had something new to tell them. Kylara was overjoyed to see her parents again, apparently they didn't have much time to pay attention t their only child.  
  
** Alright team, today we are going to try some formations in flight." Harry said, the people with brooms had been formed into their own unit to attack from the air. There were no rules against this, and Harry had a feeling that Barracuda army, led by Draco, would be flying as well.  
  
They kicked off the ground and formed a W shape, Harry in the center forward position and flew out across the room. Harry had the team practice holding the broom with one or no hands while shooting spells, then they split into two groups and attacked each other.  
  
Harry rolled low to avoid a body bind, arching his back while under the broom he shot a stunning spell over and behind him. A cry told him he'd hit his target. He swung up and dove, Stilgar zapped by, Harry did and backwards half loop and followed, Stilgar threw up a good shield, Harry used a hex to make his broom throw him off, the astonished boy went flying off his broom. He hit the ground unharmed thanks to a cushioning spell.  
  
** The house was old and run-down. It was situated among the trees on a hillside, death eaters were gathering outside by the score. Soon six hundred robed and hooded and masked men and women were standing out there. The door opened and sixteen others came out.  
  
All of the newcomers were young, in their twenties, they were scarred and all were armed with a variety or cruel looking weapons. They were obviously the first of the death eater Voldemort had trained since childhood, the ones who had spent years in those cages fighting to the death with each other and learning only the dark arts. Harry felt pity for those sixteen, they had had horrible lives, but they didn't know that, didn't know what they were missing. Everyone waited, then with a small pop a tall figure in black robes with red slited eyes appeared.  
  
"So, we meet again my death eaters. It has been two weeks, the cells in both the fort and my castle are empty now. Don't worry though; we'll have some new prisoners by the night's end." He said in a hissing voice, shivers of fear and expectation ran through the audience.  
  
"My lord, just tell us where to strike." Said a man standing in the front row.  
  
"I will then, disperse my death eaters across the seven continents as you will in groups of a dozen or so, bring me the powerful, the respected, the mighty, the leaders among the magic folk. Feel free to bring any muggles you feel like capturing as well, the dementors and vampires need food, and muggles are such fun to torture. Go now." The mod moved into groups and they disappeared.  
  
Harry woke with a start in his room, Zarith gave a very soft soothing croon from his perch. Harry reached with his mind, seeking, seeking, finally he found his goal.  
  
Sirius?  
  
Harry, what is it?  
  
Voldemort has sent out all his death eaters to capture, and I quote, "the powerful, the respected, the might, leaders of the magic folk, and any muggles they feel like having a bit of fun with.  
  
Where?  
  
Anywhere, across all seven continents. It will be very difficult to stop them.  
  
Alright, we will need your help, please try to find out more.  
  
I will notify you when I do.  
  
No tell Dumbledore, don't strain yourself, I know how difficult telepathy is for someone outside the Order.  
  
Alright.  
  
Harry got out of bed and walked to a wall hanging upon which there was the image of a howling wolf. He tapped it with his wand twice and it rolled up revealing a door. Harry spoke the password.  
  
"Canis Lupus." The door swung open into his hidden room. There was only one now, with a small fireplace, a large round table, an armchair and a couch. Along one wall were racks and racks of potions. Harry sat in front of the fire place and took a deep breath, then stopped, if he gave a prophecy he would need someone else here to record it. He looked at his watch and pressed one of the four buttons on it, the purple one.  
  
"Ira?" There was a silence, Ira would feel the watch becoming very cold, then very hot, then very cold, then vibrating against her wrist, in a second her voice came to him.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
"I'm attempting to do some fire gazing, Voldemort's just sent his death eaters off and I need to find where, can you please come to my room as soon as possible?"  
  
"Sure, activate the portkey." Harry held down Ira's purple button while pressing a triangular silver one, instantly Ira appeared beside him.  
  
"Okay, I'll write down anything you say, do you have the vision recorder?" Harry held it up, it would record what he saw, but he had discovered that it didn't record any prophecy he gave, and he wasn't sure why not or how to make it do so. He summoned a small phial from rack and drank the bluish liquid. It would keep any pain from his scar at a bearable level. He sat down in front of the fire, Ira on the couch right behind him, slowly he let the flames hypnotize him.  
  
He saw a globe, earth, sitting in the starry darkness that was space. Getting closer he watched as it slowly rotated, then blobs of black began to appear on the planet. The first starting in England. Then others elsewhere. Slowly they grew and more appeared they grew steadily, like an ugly sickness spreading over the whole world. Harry could feel the stink of evil, rot and decay. He could hear screams and cries, pleas of help. The darkness grew to an even deeper black that swallowed the light of the sun and didn't shine at all. Nothing but darkness, spread unstoppably over the planet. Harry felt great sorrow, loss, and then anger. The darkness was hurting people, destroying them, he could not allow this to happen.  
  
*But it is already happening* He thought suddenly. Furious he shouted a challenge to the darkness, he would not just sit by and let it take over, nearly the whole world was consumed now. *NO! Never! Leave them alone!* he raged at it as the darkness spread, drinking in the planet unstoppably. Harry's fury grew, millions of people were screaming in pain and loss, he could not let this happen. *I WILL NOT LET YOU DESTROY MY PEOPLE!!!* This time the darkness stopped, the slowly began to spread again. *My people? Where did that come from?* Harry asked himself, but they were his people, they were humans.no Atlantians.and so was he, and he would not let this darkness take them all. Muggles and magic folk alike, he could not let it destroy them. Harry looked carefully at the planet before him, some small areas were still as they had been, he looked and spotted a large one in England, he reached out, and gently touched it. He could feel evil slowly creeping up on the desperate people there who fought to stave off the oncoming tidal wave of destruction. Harry took a deep breath ad began to fight back with his mind. The darkness stopped, then slowly Harry gained ground, becoming confident and sure, he would not allow his people to be harmed. The light area grew larger and larger. Harry placed both hands of the slowly rotating planet and the light spread, he poured courage and unity into it, and the light rose at his call, beating back the darkness. His surety, power, and confidence grew, he could feel people dying, but he was there with them, no longer were they at the mercy of the darkness, he felt their pain, soaked it up, and drew it away. The light glowed brilliantly, spread into the areas the hastily receding darkness vacated. Else where the darkness was trying to make a comeback, but Harry firmly stopped it, his power spread to cover the world, the darkness shriveled, but as it shriveled Harry noticed something. It wasn't leaving, it was just hiding, it was still there, gathering power. All of the darkness moved back into one spot, where it was cornered, then it flared up. Harry felt the pain and fear of millions, he reassured them and gave them the courage and strength to fight for their planet. Flames sprouted out of the planet, black and gold, the two fought, then the gold roared up, the darkness fell away completely, leaving the planet glowing brilliantly. Harry smiled and relaxed, then, very slowly, tiny stops of darkness appeared, he exerted more control and they vanished.  
  
For nearly an hour Harry sat, fighting the darkness off the planet, then it vanished, and the vision changed.  
  
All around there was swirling lights. *I have to find out where the death eaters are going* Harry thought frantically. Then he calmed himself and reached for the knowledge he sought, not for himself but knowledge that would protect his people.  
  
He was drifting through the night, towards a city, its gleaming lights visible. On the outskirts he stopped in a small neighborhood, then with a dozen pops death eaters appeared. There was a sign on a board with the town's name on it, it was written in Russian. Then it all vanished, another town, another group of death eaters. This went on for three hours. Finally it was gone. Now he was in a different place, darkness again.  
  
Then slowly the vision solidified, and he saw a green and blue planet floating in space. It was not earth, there were three continents. One very big, and two smaller ones that were the same size. Climate varied between them, for the planet's climate was almost identical to earth. Ranging from the South Pole to the north and everything in-between. No animals seemed to live there, but as he descended into the grasses and forests he realized that he knew almost all of the plants. Magical and none magical they were there, the same exact plants as Earth had. And he realized where he was, Atlantis. Looking out over it he instantly felt a desire to be there, to live on Atlantis, for everyone with magic to be there, where they belonged. The planet seemed to speak to him, telling him, in Atlantian, that it was time to come home.  
  
*Soon, soon, I promise, I'll be back.* he told it, it seemed to relax, *I will bring them home.* He slowly swirled away into a dark gold mist. *Okay Harry, bizarre? Talking planets? Are you crazy?* he asked himself in grim amusement. *No, I'm not, Atlantis calls her children home, we will return.*  
  
Someone was speaking from far, far, away, slowly he drew himself toward the voice, knowing that when he was awake enough he would realize it was his own, and it was. What a surprise, he just hoped Ira copied it down right.  
  
Suddenly his eyes flew open, Harry gasped, then relaxed, he was back. Physically, mentally, and magically he felt drained and exhausted. He leaned back against Ira's leg and closed his eyes.  
  
"How do you feel?"  
  
"Like I got run over by a truck, just peachy thanks, what did I say?" He asked, Ira handed him a piece of parchment. Harry looked it over an dread it out loud.  
  
"Who is that one, loyal and brave? Who never turned and ran, but stayed? This is a warrior born not made! The warrior is one of wisdom Living in peace, aye many a season, Calm in life, sound in reason."  
  
"That's all?" he asked in a despairing voice, he hadn't a clue what this meant, or what to do with it or the other prophecy's he'd been giving lately. Sensing his distress Ira began massaging his shoulders.  
  
"It sounds a bit like the other two, do you have them?" Harry took them out of a pocket and put the three pieces on the ground beside him. Then he noticed something and rearranged them.  
  
"You know, I think I'm reciting a full prophecy, only I'm doing it in sections that are all mixed up, I'll need the fourth piece before I really understand it, grand, just grand."  
  
"Well I don't think you'll get anything else from the fire tonight, you'd probably collapse right into it. Send the recorder to Sirius, then get some sleep." Ira advised, Harry stood and helped her up.  
  
"Good idea, thanks Ira."  
  
"Anytime Harry, goodnight."  
  
After she had left Harry viewed the recorder, not really surprised to not that none of the stuff with Atlantis or the darkness covering the earth and him beating it back was on there. Just the visions of the towns with the death eaters.  
  
"Zarith, do you think you could get this to Sirius as fats as possible?" He asked the phoenix, knowing that phoenix's were about three times as fast as owls. The young phoenix picked up the recorder, gave a small note of song, and flew off. Exhausted Harry went back to bed, glad that the next day was Sunday, and that the battle wasn't until noon. 


	16. Chapter 16 Elves and the Skull

Chapter 16  
  
"So the elves will arrive tomorrow, they'll need an escort the whole way. Harry could inform the other commanders, tell them that they'll be eating with the elves this evening?" Albus asked, looking to Harry who was sitting beside him.  
  
"Sure, and I'll put out a few threats to keep everyone else from acting up," he added, his eyes sparkling, he half hoped someone would try something; he hadn't pulled a good prank in nearly a week.  
  
The council rose and left the room, Harry and Dumbledore went back to Hogwarts. Just inside the entrance hall Harry turned to Dumbledore for a moment.  
  
"I've got a new lead with the skull I need to work out, and it could just possibly be dangerous, I'll be down in the lab all afternoon, if I don't come to dinner try to contact me telepathically, if even Sirius can't get anything then you'll know I'm dead or too hurt to respond." He said, the headmaster's eyes went wide, but he didn't protest the experiment, trusting Harry's judgment to keep himself safe.  
  
Harry sat down in a chair, the skull on its table in front of him. Beside him stood a tray with a dozen phials of blood on it, Harry waited, watching the blood, but no change was occurring. These samples were all from people who could withstand the skull's power for nearly five minutes. Harry took a small knife out of his pocket and neatly made a long slit on his left palm. Blood began to pool in his hand, Harry lifted his hand scraped the blood off into a small tube until he had enough of it. Then he healed his palm and stood, watching the stopwatch on the table. At just the right moment he poured the blood out of the test tube and onto the gold symbol on the skull's forehead. Everything went black.  
  
He couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't smell, couldn't feel, he felt like he was being skinned alive, the only sense that was working was his ability to feel pain, unknowingly Harry collapsed to the floor, but was unable to feel himself hit it. Pain, and the darkness was everywhere, what was going on? Suddenly through the darkness a symbol appeared, Harry recognized it instantly as the one on his right palm, it was glowing gold, and growing bigger and bigger, and coming closer. Just as it was about to hit him Harry threw up one arm over his face to block it, his right arm, with the right palm facing outwards. Instantly the symbol hit his palm, burning into his flesh and bone, Harry screamed, but was unaware that he was screaming. Now the symbol form the skull appeared, but it was no longer fuzzy, and he could see it clearly.  
  
It was an eight-pointed star, but one point was longer than all the others, the top point was longer. And in the center of the star was a rune, the rune for earth. He could feel the symbol calling, calling, but it wasn't calling him, who then? It was burning itself into his mind; Harry tried to force it away but was unable too, finally he lifted his right palm and pressed the symbol on it to the one blazing in his mind, and everything went dark as he passed out.  
  
The first thing Harry noticed when he woke was that he was lying on the floor, the second thing he noticed was that his right palm was covered in dried blood. He rolled to his knees and shakily stood and sat down in the chair again. He glanced at his watch, and was astonished to find that nearly three hours had passed. He turned quickly to look at the phials of blood.and stopped, his eyes going wide with shock, they were still red. The blood cells hadn't exploded, in three hours nothing had changed about them. Then he turned to the skull, it too was different, the symbol on his forehead was clear now, a glowing gold, the same symbol he had seen in his mind. The eight pointed star, one point longer than all the others, with the rune for earth at its center.  
  
** "Silence!" Harry's voice rang out; there was instant silence in the commanders' lounge. He had just walked in the door to see them all chattering excitedly, something about the elves. After trying to get tem to listen for nearly a minute Harry had just simply yelled. Now they were all staring at him, Harry very rarely raised his voice at anyone.  
  
"Sit, all of you." He told them firmly, they all scrambled for chairs, Harry sat down in an armchair, hoping that his recent trial with the skull didn't have any visible effects.besides the fact that his right palm ached.  
  
"Earlier today the Phoenix Council received news that the elves are returning to Hogwarts tomorrow. They will arrive tomorrow afternoon at two o'clock if all goes well. Each of you commands one of the Hogwarts armies, and all of you will be allowed to dine with them tomorrow at dinner. Tomorrow evening is not an especially important event, the talks with the elves and al the ministries will start the day after. Hogwarts will be hosting the elves for five days, not including tomorrow, for the talks. The first and second years will remain in the lower school and have no contact with them. Their schedule will remain as it is. Our however will change. Classes will be scheduled around the talks because some of the teachers will need to be present. Each day's classes will appear on your schedule every morning. At some time or other some of the seventh year students might be asked to teach a class while a professor is absent, and the guests will be watching any battles they choose to." Here he had to pause as nervous chatter broke out. He held up a hand for silence and finally they all became quiet again.  
  
Tomorrow when they arrive there is a possibility that death eaters may attack them on the way. There will be Order of the Phoenix Agents with them, they'll be taking a portkey to Hogsmead and riding in the carriages up to the castle. But they may need additional guards. The two best from each army, not including the commanders or your seconds, will be posted in groups of four along both sides of the road. All of them will be able to communicate via spells and anything out of the ordinary is to be passed to me immediately. If there is an emergency these guards will be expected to aid the Phoenix agents in fighting off the attack. The agents will chase down any death eaters, the guards will be expected to stay at their posts, and keep anyone from coming close to the carriages. In addition the older members form every army will be assigned guard duties for the days that Hogwarts is hosting the elves and our other guests. During this time they'll each have a corridor to patrol or a station to guard. They'll do this in groups of two. Any further instructions will appear at the bottom of each student's schedule. Now you nee dot go inform your armies of this, you and your second will be responsible for making sure that no one in your army misbehaves and that everything goes smoothly. Go now." In a great wave the commanders stood and left the room, Harry waited until they had all left before he stood and walked down the hallway to the Wolf dorm.  
  
** Harry waited with the other commanders in the great hall, the elves would be there shortly, so far everything had gone fine. He stood a little apart from the group, half hidden in the shadows, watching everything warily. Arthur Weasely and three others whom he did not know had arrived ten minutes before, now Arthur was talking to the headmaster in a whisper. Albus's face looked worried and quite stormy. Harry had listened in on their conversation for a bit, something about a ministry official vanishing. One of the guards reported that the elves had arrived; Harry sent back a message for all of them to come inside and go to their dorms. He turned purposefully to the doors, the others in the room, catching his sudden movement, turned as well.  
  
The huge doors swung inward and the king and queen of the elves, followed by a score of others, entered. Albus walked forward to meet them halfway and bowed.  
  
"Greetings good king, lady, I hope your journey was uneventful?" The elf king and queen bowed in return.  
  
"Enjoyable Albus," the king paused looking around the great hall, "it is nice to see this place is still unchanged and still standing." Dumbledore straightened.  
  
"Indeed it is." He made a quick signal to the auror guards, they all scattered around the room along the walls. Then the headmaster began to introduce everyone, Harry purposely stayed to the back so that he was last. When his name was called he stepped forward and bowed, straightening he met the elf king's eyes, to everyone's astonishment, including to some extent his own, the king gave him a short bow, when he rose he looked into Harry eyes and signaled that he needed to talk with Harry later. Harry inclined his head slightly and swept off to his seat silently, the elf king allowed the headmaster to lead him to his.  
  
Harry was relatively quiet all through the meal, his palm ached horribly and he was tired after his ordeal with the skull. Ira and Draco tried to draw him into a conversation but he didn't respond very well so they gave up. The elf general of the mounted elven warriors was sitting on Harry's left, Harry figured out quickly that he had been asked by the king to question Harry about he skulls, or he was just very interested in them.  
  
"So you're not very worried about Voldemort getting them?"  
  
"Yes I am, those skulls do have a very real purpose and they are necessary, and Voldemort's power could damage them badly."  
  
"Ah so you have figured them out?"  
  
"Yes I believe I have."  
  
"It is not public knowledge yet though?"  
  
"No not yet, I want to be certain first, which will require a another round of experimenting."  
  
"Interesting, you have put so much effort into these skulls, do you think it is worth it?"  
  
"Yes indeed, it certainly is."  
  
"Would you care to elaborate on that?"  
  
"Yes I would, I have only by theories and I am not yet ready to announce them to anyone." Harry said, half amused at the other's attempts to get him talking. The elf noted his amusement and chose a different topic, Voldemort, very quickly Harry managed to draw almost everyone at the banquet into a discussion of Voldemort, and the skulls were momentarily forgotten.  
  
"So Albus, you've rearranged the school a bit I gather?" The king asked the headmaster.  
  
"Yes indeed, the students still have classes of course, but they're learning self defense and getting battle training now."  
  
"Ah, that sounds rather like what we elves have, are you sure it is wise though?"  
  
"It promotes team work, the students are organized into groups, which we playfully call armies. It gives every student a team to work with, and the older students can develop useful leadership qualities. It also teaches them self defense that in today's world is very useful indeed." The headmaster explained, he had everyone's full attention.  
  
"Yes, very useful in today's world," the elf king said with a sigh, with Voldemort on the rampage a little training would save many lives. "What of students who do not wish to be fighters?"  
  
"Then they may practice strategy in their army, and since magic is almost always allowed they may be the ones to find spells for the others to use. And should anyone be injured we try to have the students heal each other, unless of course it is a serious injury in which case the hospital wing is always open. Of course after school they don't have to remember any of it, but if they do choose a fighting profession they are already well begun in their training. "  
  
"Still such training might leave out other parts of life that your students might need."  
  
  
  
"A professional swords man does not go around challenging people and loping off heads. Nor does a master of the martial arts beat people up constantly. The training teaches discipline, the abilities they are taught take time and patience to master, they have to really work at it. By the time they leave the school they will be used to working methodically and persistently toward a goal. The training also makes them much healthier, too many wizards and witches are overweight and unhealthy, the physical exercise is good for them. It also has a long-range goal to making wizarding society stronger. If everyone were to have such training, to learn to cooperate and work with others, and if they had the connections and good friends they make through this training then perhaps fewer would join with dark lords such as Voldemort. Little forges a stronger friendship than overcoming hardships and challenges together." The headmaster explained calmly and the elves nodded satisfied. Albus met Harry's eyes briefly, and Harry was sure the headmaster winked at him, that last speech had been taken directly form what Harry had said when explaining the program he had planned to the staff.  
  
** Harry retreated to his room early that day, exhausted and still shaken form the skull's power, but all the more convinced that he had been right in the skull's power and place in the Atlantian society of old.now he just had to try the same procedure with the other skull to test it.  
  
  
  
  
  
Hey yal, sorry this took so long! Hope you liked it!  
  
Miranda Flairgold 


	17. Chapter 17 Puzzles

Chapter 17 Puzzles  
  
The next day after lunch Harry went for a walk by the lake, soon enough the elf king joined him and they walked in silence for a ways.  
  
"Harry I have been growing worried since these skulls began to appear, what they could do." He began slowly, "I can see, you plan to change wizarding society, bring it back to what it was like when the Atlantians were around. I have to say I approve, I've looked deeply into all those reports and papers you've written, I have to say I like their legal system, and their attitude. But these skulls, what purpose could they serve, what could Voldemort do if he got them?"  
  
"If he got one and managed to destroy it I would be unable to reinstate their legal system. The Council of Eight Halisar Ashixhum (the elf king's name) Eight people, chosen by the King as advisors and aides. They were the most powerful, and the best for their jobs. The best strategists, fighters, diplomats, etc. Eight black skulls, one for each of the council member. They were second only to the king and/or queen, and each had control of an element, given to them when they assumed the post. If the king should die without naming a successor the Council of Eight would rule until the shades of the dead kings and queens chose the new ruler. These Eight were a focal point of the government, and they had many responsibilities. There were twenty-four schools of magic on Atlantis, each of the eight had to keep update don what happened at three of them. Their greatest responsibility was to the Eight Planets, besides Atlantis there were eight other planets, one with the goblins, one with the giants, one with dwarves, one with werewolves (they evolved to bite humans on the full moon, it was not always so) one with the wood nymphs, another with water sprites, and one with fairies. All of which have ended up here on Earth due to some unfortunate circumstances. Four driven form their home worlds by the Bachians (the other invasive alien species) One forced to flee to Earth from an ice age, another from a heat wave that killed almost everything on the planet, One forced to flee from their planets collision with an asteroid, rather like Atlantis, and one fleeing terrible volcanic upheaval, their planet basically destroyed itself, some sort of explosion in its core. Seven Councilors would not be sufficient, there must be two for each element, so that all are balanced. Voldemort could destroy one of the skulls and mess everything up, a new one might eventually be created, though I am not sure how." Harry explained to the king, who listened with great interest.  
  
"And you mean to set things right?"  
  
"As right as I can, I'm not a god, I haven't a clue how, but I will try."  
  
"The elves will help however we can, we would like to see this happen, we trust you, and thank you Harry."  
  
"And thank you, I will probably need help." They walked back to the castle in silence, Harry planning how he would present his new found findings to the world, the elf king lost deep in his own thoughts.  
  
** "Harry? Are you okay? No clearly you're not, what's going on?" Ira said as soon as she entered the room, but after she had closed the door firmly behind her. She sat down on the chair next to his desk, glancing at the papers on it, which were all written in Atlantian. They were all of the Atlantian legal system, but she hadn't learned to read Atlantian well enough yet to really know what they said.  
  
"I've been doing a few experiments with the skulls, and gotten some surprising results."  
  
"Hm, so what else is new? Why do you look like you haven't slept for days?"  
  
"Ah well, that would be because I haven't. Those skulls seem to be taking up residence in my dreams of late." Ira raised an eyebrow at this.  
  
"Have they? What are they telling you?"  
  
"Their locations, the other six I mean, I really don't understand but they've shown me their locations. Well their general locations, not very specific unfortunately." He pointed to a map of the world tacked on the wall, there were six circles on it, each about sixty miles in diameter.  
  
"Let me guess, they want you to go and find them?"  
  
"You read my mind. But I'm not going to yet, I've got the Wolves to train, and I've been asked to draw up some special battle plans just incase Hogwarts is attacked anytime soon. And over the weekend I'm flying out with a special hit squad to clean up some muggle terrorist activities. They're trying to build an atomic bomb for Voldemort. Oh yes and there's that damned prophesy, the reason I asked you to come."  
  
"There's still more of it?"  
  
"Yes, I think so, it's been bugging me for days, you know having vision sitting in the back of my mind makes me feel nauseous," *Ah that's why he hasn't been eating much* Ira thought. "I want it out of the way so I'm going to try and see it tonight." Harry handed her the paper upon which the other verses were written, Ira followed Harry into the secret room and sat down in the armchair. Harry sat down before the fire. He stared into it, letting the lames invade his mind, but nothing came to him.  
  
"Ira could you recite what we've got so far?" She began to immediately; Harry detached himself and tuned her out, gazing into the fire.  
  
The sky was a dark gray, a crescent moon was visible between the clouds. The castle looked gray and forbidding, it was dusk. Suddenly everything began to ripple, like a mirage, then slowly solidified, nothing appeared to have changed, then he heard the war cries. Hundreds of vampires, banshees, dementors, and death eaters came running out of the forest. Overhead flew over a hundred death eaters on broomsticks, a huge army attacking Hogwarts, they swarmed towards the walls. Muggle airplanes, a score of them, came in to attack, ready to drop bombs. Then everything vanished, Harry struggled, trying to call the vision back, what had happened? But nothing came, now he was standing just outside a huge warehouse. Muggle guards were standing around it in twos, ten of them. Harry reached out, trying to get control over the vision, everything went black, then he was inside the building.  
  
Muggles were standing and sitting around two tables talking, Harry couldn't hear what they were saying but there were no guards present, and the diagram on the wall showed what he thought must be the bomb they were building. Then the vision vanished as the other had, Harry came back to reality, to hear himself speaking. But he couldn't make out the words, then they stopped, he blinked a few times and looked away from the mesmeric flames. Ira stopped writing and looked over the paper.  
  
"I think we have the whole thing now. You recited all the verses, and a new one, but in a different order." She took a breath and began to read.  
  
The young must grow old, Whilst the old grow older, And cowards will shrink, As the bold grow bolder. Courage may blossom in quiet hearts, For who can tell where bravery starts?  
  
Truth is a song, oft lying unsung, Some mother bird, protecting her young, Those who lay down their lives for friends, The echo rolls onward, it seldom ends.  
  
Who is that one, loyal and brave? Who never turned and ran, but stayed? This is a warrior born not made! The warrior is one of wisdom Living in peace, aye many a season, Calm in life, sound in reason.  
  
Peace shall lie over land and sea, Until the great evil arrives, With a wicked horde, Driving a warrior to pick up his sword, The challenger rings then, straight and fair, Justice is with us, beware. Beware!  
  
"What do you think it means?" She asked as she finished.  
  
"A nice piece of poetry, perhaps if I could write things like that I would have done better in muggle English class. I haven't a clue as to what it really means. But it may be a description of what is happening right now in the world, a disappointment, I had hoped it would tell us something useful of what is to come."  
  
"Merlin prophesied nonsense and rhymes most of his life, none of which make any sense to anyone, perhaps this is like them. Or it may mean something, you also recited group of numbers, bizarre really, here I'll read them off to you." Ira began to read off the numbers aloud.  
  
1.4.6 1.2.20 1.2.3 4.6.1 1.2.3 1.3.19 1.1.8  
  
"Then you paused for a while and gave this weird twitch, then you said this."  
  
2.2.11 2.1.8 4.4.1 1.1.3 3.1.11  
  
"Any bright ideas?" Harry slowly shook his head before standing up and sitting in the other armchair.  
  
"How odd, well totally bizarre to be more correct. Shall we call in the others?"  
  
"I think we had better, the problem solving section of my brain has gone on temporary vacation as far as this is concerned." Ira said dryly, and began to call the others by the watches they all wore. In minutes Ron, Hermione, and Draco were all there and sitting around the table. Ira copied the poem and the numbers onto a different sheet for each and they all set to work on it.  
  
It was well past midnight when they finally gave up for the night, no one had come up with any ideas that worked. What made it even more difficult was that they had not a single clue as to what they were looking for, the other departed, promising to continue working on it in their spare time. Harry went to bed, hoping he wouldn't have any dreams, and if he did dream it had better be a little fairy telling him what those number meant.  
  
  
  
Short I know, sorry.  
  
Can you figure it out? REVIEW 


	18. Chapter 18 The Skull has Chosen

Chapter 18  
  
The young must grow old, Whilst the old grow older, And cowards will shrink, As the bold grow bolder. Courage may blossom in quiet hearts, For who can tell where bravery starts?  
  
Truth is a song, oft lying unsung, Some mother bird, protecting her young, Those who lay down their lives for friends, The echo rolls onward, it seldom ends.  
  
Who is that one, loyal and brave? Who never turned and ran, but stayed? This is a warrior born not made! The warrior is one of wisdom Living in peace, aye many a season, Calm in life, sound in reason.  
  
Peace shall lie over land and sea, Until the great evil arrives, With a wicked horde, Driving a warrior to pick up his sword, The challenger rings then, straight and fair, Justice is with us, beware. Beware!  
  
1.4.6 1.2.20 1.2.3 4.6.1 1.2.3 1.3.19 1.1.8  
  
2.2.11 2.1.8 4.4.1 1.1.3 3.1.11  
  
Harry looked around at the others in the room. Albus was looking over the paper thoughtfully, Sirius had a slightly bemused expression on his face, Severus was looking highly doubtful, and Miranda was studying the number sequences closely.  
  
"Are you sure this is what you said?" Sirius asked him for the second time.  
  
"Yes Sirius I'm sure, this is exactly what I said, any ideas?" All he got was silence, "alright, just think on it will you? I haven't a clue." Harry said as he rose, he needed something to eat, having missed lunch, and a shower to wash the blood out of his hair. The wound was healed, though it still ached, and he needed to oversee his army's practice. He gave a tired sigh and turned to go, but Albus stopped him.  
  
"Wait a minute Harry." Harry turned and came back over to them. "Harry I know it's only two days until Halloween so I thought this would be a good time to talk to you about this, sit down for a moment." Harry did so, looking curiously at the other four.  
  
"Harry we've decided to remove you from the training program, it isn't really helping you any, and you are far more useful in other ways. I know this shouldn't surprise you any, we'll appoint a new commander for the Wolf army and move you to your own rooms elsewhere." Albus announced, Harry nodded, having expected as much at some point.  
  
"When?" Was his only question.  
  
"Tomorrow afternoon, now how about you go and get some rest, you look exhausted. We can work on the castle defense plans after the Halloween celebrations." Miranda told him, Harry nodded and left.  
  
"I can't believe you're leaving!' Janice McKinnion complained, pouting. The Wolf army watched as Harry got ready to leave.  
  
"Hey no mater who you get you're still the best army in the school.actually I'm supposed to choose the new commander form among you." At this everyone sat up quickly and looked at him expectantly.  
  
"Neville, you're a good strategist, and you're a good teacher too, I think you'll take over." Neville fell off his bed in shock as everyone cheered.  
  
"Harry.me? I'm not that good a fighter at all." Neville said later when everyone else had left for dinner.  
  
"Yes you are, you got three in our last battle, and dueled with two at once in the one before that. You can be very organized, in everything but Potions. Just do what I've taught you, stand up to everyone and keep the team in shape. You've got good strategists in Janice and Pearl, Stilgar's steady as a rock in any situation, he's quick and an excellent fighter, he'll be commander after you I think. You can do it Neville, I know you can, now come on, lets see if there's anything left to eat." Harry said reassuringly, Neville nodded slowly and followed him.  
  
** The new rooms were, well, wonderful, Harry had designed them himself. Putting them right next to his laboratory, he even had made his own small library. Besides school, in which he wasn't taking that many classes anymore, his only concerns were the Order and Atlantis. Which was more than enough to keep him busy. Harry had a large living room with a fireplace, a large bedroom, a bathroom, a small library, the skulls laboratory, and another room for his potions and anything else. Zarith flew in the window and landed on his gold perch, whistling happily. Curled up on the window sill Tiger purred contentedly.  
  
"You approve huh? So do I." Harry said as he put his things away, then he went to set up the living room and send out some letters, hopefully no one would be too busy to come to the meeting that night.  
  
**  
  
When Albus, Sirius, Mundungus, Arabella, Severus, Minerva, Miranda, Felara, Fred, George, Alastor, and Alanna met in Harry's living room that evening. He had magically enlarged it for this, and all fit in comfortably, giving odd looks to the metal box covering something in the center of the room.  
  
"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," Harry began, taking a seat in an armchair he leaned forward and lifted the box off whatever it was covering.to reveal an obsidian skull, one of the real ones.  
  
"What the heck!?" Everyone was on their feet at once, but Harry quickly waved his wand and muttered a spell, the door shut and locked, everyone was thrown back into their seats.  
  
"Potter just what-"  
  
"I see you have noticed that this is infact one of the real skulls, and the reason I wanted to have you all met here."  
  
"To kill us!?"  
  
"Yes Severus I spent so long researching these things just to use them to kill you all." Harry growled, annoyed, "relax, its ability to kill is gone."  
  
"Harry you'd better explain." Miranda said, relaxing into her chair. Harry nodded and began to explain about what had happened in the lab not long before, with the skull's symbol becoming clearer.  
  
"I tested it on the other skull to make sure, and I'm convinced, I'm not entirely sure what I did, but I do know that the skulls are no longer a danger to anyone." Harry said, massaging his palm, the effect of.fixing, the skull's powers two days before had a long lasting effect.  
  
"Interesting, so they cannot harm anyone?"  
  
"No one." he paused, looking intently at Miranda, her eyes had slowly glazed over, and were now glowing gold. In response the symbol on the skull's forehead was glowing even brighter.  
  
"Miranda?" Sirius asked, Harry signaled hi to be quite, the glowing gold got brighter still, then Miranda leaned forward, and before anyone could stop her she placed the palm of her right hand over the symbol on the skulls forehead.  
  
Instantly a bright flashes and sparks of gold shot form where her hand covered the symbol, glowing and shining so brightly that they had to cover their eyes. Sparks flew, Harry looked carefully, he could see the glow form the symbol shining right through Miranda palm, looking even more closely he could see blood from her palm running down the skull. Then there was a huge flash of white light, and all the light vanished as quickly as it had appeared; Miranda slumped to the floor, unconscious.  
  
Miranda!" Sirius said quickly, going to her he lifted her palm and gasped. Harry came over to kneel beside them and examine her palm, already knowing what he would see.  
  
Branded on her palm in dark gold lines was the symbol that had formerly been on the skull's forehead. A circle with eight points, the top point near the base of her middle finger longer than the others, in the center the symbol for earth. He looked at the skull, it looked fine, the blood gone, and the symbol had vanished.  
  
"What happened?" Sirius asked as Miranda blinked and sat up.  
  
"It chose her as one of the eight." Harry replied simply.  
  
"What in the name of everything good are the eight?" Sirius asked, helping Miranda to stand and sit down in her chair. Harry went back to his and sat down, and started to explain everything he had told to the elf king.  
  
"It has been calling, searching, for days, ever since the symbol first started appearing actually. It is one of the skulls of Earth and it chose her as one of the Council of Eight. She now has control over the element of Earth, the most powerful of the elements I believe. Now, the other skull." Harry said, turning to the table beside him he lifted the second skull off it.  
  
"Harry.on its forehead, did it have that symbol there before?" Albus asked him. Harry looked closely; a dull gold glow had appeared on the second skull's forehead, where before there was nothing. It was still far to dim to figure out what it would become, actually he didn't think the skull had decided what element to be yet. Mentally he gave himself a pat on the back, he'd been right.  
  
"There is a method to the choosing of the eight. First one is chosen, then the next skull begins to glow, it will take four months for that glow to become a clear symbol, then another two months will pass, but at the next of six months it must choose the second member of the council."  
  
"Is that how it worked on Atlantis?" Miranda asked, it was the first she had spoken; she was examining her palm closely.  
  
"No, on Atlantis the emperor would chose the Council member, then the next skull would give him six months to choose the next one. If he didn't it would choose for him. But we have no emperor so the skulls will have to choose the Council. Apparently they intend to restart the Atlantian government, and the Eight were the focal point of that."  
  
"But we would need an Emperor." Albus said.  
  
"Yes, but there are none of direct descent left I suppose, how the emperor is chosen will probably depend on the skulls, I don't know. All I know is that I have to find a third skull and.fix it powers, before the second skull chooses. They cannot choose with their powers messed up like that, and if there is no other skull ready when that one chooses then I haven't a clue what will happen, but it won't be good."  
  
"What about those symbols on your palm? Do they have any meaning?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Yes, I think that the skulls have somehow given me the ability to give others power over the elements, but now that the skulls are choosing I cannot anymore. My job is to help teach the Council how to use their new power. On Atlantis there was much more knowledge of how these powers work and the Council probably knew who would be chosen ahead of time and could start their training. Part of my job might be to help counteract her powers, should they get out of hand." Harry explained to them.  
  
"Should we release this to the press?" Albus wondered aloud.  
  
"Probably, they're clamoring for news on the skulls, everyone is. This might be helpful, and they're Atlantians, they have a right to know." Sirius said.  
  
"But we'll have to make sure the Ministries don't get all worked up over having power taken away." Minerva said.  
  
"If the Eight are going to return to power then it'll have to be done very carefully.depending on circumstances. I'll announce everything new I've discovered about the Atlantian government, then two days later we'll announce that it has chosen." Harry decided, grabbing some parchment he wrote a quick letter to the Daily Prophet, asking if they wanted everything new on Atlantis, which of course they would.  
  
"Well I've had my shock for the day, anything else Harry?" Albus asked, standing up, Harry grinned mischievously.  
  
"Don't use any pepper tomorrow morning at breakfast." All the teachers groaned and glared at him.  
  
However they were very thankful for the warning the next day when every Slytherin who used pepper went about singing songs from the Wizard of Oz, the Hufflepuff sang songs from the Little Mermaid, Ravenclaws were signing songs from Peter Pan and the Gryffindors sang everything from the Lion King (duh you coulda guessed that) And all the poor staff members who did use pepper sang songs from Robin hood/Men in Tights. It was very amusing for all those who didn't like salt.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sorry this took sooooo long. 


	19. Chapter 19 Attck on Beijing

Thanks to all who reviewed.  
  
Come on people, what do those numbers mean?  
  
Guesses so far from reviewers.  
  
MythX: No sorry hon, nothin' that simple! Heather: Hmm very good idea, but no it's not that. Keladry: No the numbers are not coordinates to find Atlantis. And no sorry, they're not direction to the other skulls. Angelis: Nope sorry, try again.  
  
  
  
Chapter 19  
  
"Mayhem, absolute mayhem," Miranda growled as she entered the room, Harry tried hard not to snicker. The press had been all over his godmother as soon as the news about her being chosen as one of the Eight by the skull had been released. "I am going to FRY the next person to ask for my autograph." Severus went into a coughing fit, Albus was chuckling away, Miranda glared furiously at him, suddenly Albus's hair turned orange, then blue, then white again, Miranda blinked then grinned sheepishly. The rest of the group went into fits of laughter.  
  
"I hope you were more polite to your reporter shadows." Albus commented smoothly as if nothing had happened, Harry could have sworn Miranda GROWLED before she went to sit down in one of the overstuffed armchairs. While it would have been highly entertaining to listen to Miranda rant for a while, or possibly burn Albus's hair off, there was a reason the Gold, Purple, and Red patrols had gathered that day. Sirius soon appeared at the door, looking harassed.  
  
"Rashena, Feldar, Jaylem, Nilna, would you please go and make sure those goddamned reporters are leaving? I set a few of the War Unicorns and Dire Wolves on them so they'd leave." Sirius said, the four guards departed, looking amused.  
  
"Resorting to violence Sirius? Setting, quote, "dangerously violent and out of control magical creatures," end quote, on them?" Harry asked teasingly, referring to an article in the Prophet about the Order animals two days before. As Sirius whirled to glare at him he went on quickly. "I'm surprised it took you so long, I sent a few Fire Lions out to take care of any new ones who tried to enter and join that mob a half hour ago myself. Umm you didn't send Flame after them as well did you?"  
  
"Yes, why?"  
  
"He's in a rather bad mood.threatened to tear the ears off every reporter who dared call him a cur." Harry said, starting to get a little worried. Sirius sat down and closed his eyes for a moment, and then he opened them again and grinned at Harry.  
  
"It's okay, nothing too drastic has happened, yet." Harry nodded, relieved, and then stopped, wondering just what Sirius's present opinion of drastic was.  
  
"The latest report from several sources is that Voldemort has been much to quiet lately and is finally attacking again. He's marching into Japan with all his forces, and into North and South Korea." Sarlan said to start off the meeting.  
  
"Damn, the muggles will notice that.terrorist or wizards?" Miranda swore.  
  
"Terrorists, he won't use his own unless he has too, 900,000 muggle terrorists is our best guess." Sarlan supplied, the dirty blonde haired man's black and dark green eyes were glittering angrily but the weariness lurking behind them was pronounced. Sarlan had been working himself and his spies hard, Voldemort hadn't attacked in two weeks, and no one knew what was coming next.  
  
"The latest census puts it at nearly three million dead." Miranda said softly, tears of fury in the corners of her eyes. Sirius slumped, burying his face in his hands. And Albus sighed and closed his eyes. Harry bit his lip, furious and pained.  
  
"Sirius, we cannot stop the muggle terrorists enough to do any real good. We need to focus on the death eaters, Satan, and Voldemort. Let the muggles work on the terrorists, we'll send in supplies to help, and take on the death eaters, the ones the muggles can't fight. Let's send out word that we're looking for people not to fight, but to heal, and transport supplies, organize refugee centers, there's nearly six million homeless because of this war, we ought to help them." Harry suggested in the pause that followed Miranda's announcement.  
  
"Excellent idea Harry, I'll have Gregory, our reporter, set up an add tomorrow in the prophet, and we've got a few injured Agents who can't fight but they can start an office for support." Sirius said, looking up immediately, a smile on his face, he looked off into space for a few moments as he contacted the reporter agent. Harry noted that Sirius looked older than he was, and strained, the responsibilities of being Phoenix and the constant stress was getting to his godfather. Thank goodness he had Miranda to take on some of the responsibility.  
  
At that moment the door flew open, literally, and an Order Agent of the Gold patrol rushed in, sweaty, with blood seeping slowly from a head wound.  
  
"Lord Phoenix!" he gasped out, nearly collapsing, they had all leaped to their feet when he entered and now Harry moved over to steady him as he staggered, panting.  
  
"Andrew, what is it? What's happened?" Sirius asked.  
  
"V-Voldemort, destroying Beijing and close w-wizarding towns. Estimated n- nine thousand d-dead in the l-last half h-hour!" He gasped, gasping for air and coughing hard. "Fire's everywhere," cough, cough "dementors and mesmerd, death eaters leading them." He said quickly before starting to cough again. Sirius turned and closed his eyes to contact the Order but Andrew straightened quickly. "NO!" Sirius turned to stare at him. "Voldemort.he's found a way to destroy the connection.doesn't work." Andrew slumped into the nearest chair, wracked with horrible coughs and shaking.  
  
"Damn, Miranda you're telepathy will still work, call everyone in the base to the center square. Harry.can you still give others control over the elements?" Sirius asked thinking quickly. Harry looked down at his palm, unsure.  
  
"I don't know, but I'll try."  
  
"Good, Albus send the phoenixes to the patrols in North and South Korea, that's the diversion, and the one in Russia and one of the two in Canada. Get them back here as fast as possible." Albus nodded and hurried form the room, phoenixes could fly much faster than owls, owls could also be intercepted, and floo system could be tapped, and apparition wards were in the oddest places, so none of those were usable.  
  
The Order assembled quickly, Harry having set up alarms to sound throughout the Fortress three days before, which were proving to be very useful.  
  
"Okay, Harry, would you try to give Remus the ability to command fire?" Sirius asked, Harry went over to Remus and placed his palm on the other's forehead, and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out, clearing his mind and searching deep for the power. But though he found it, try as he might he couldn't force it out.  
  
"No, it isn't responding anymore." He said finally, he stepped back and shrugged. "It only comes when I have to aid one of the Eight I guess. Sorry."  
  
"Don't worry about it, Green Patrol? Red? Silver? We're leaving in five! Purple, Yellow, head out!" Sirius shouted out. People hurried everywhere.  
  
Beijing, why Beijing? What about Korea? Harry looked around, then realized he was reading minds and concentrated, bringing his mental shields back up, stronger.  
  
"You all right Harry?" Miranda asked, she seemed to be the only calm one.  
  
"Yes, yes, fine - "  
  
"You'll go in with the Blue Patrol in ten, you'd best get ready." Harry nodded and hurried into one of the storerooms.  
  
The Patrol leaders met with the Phoenix and the Council briefly before leaving. Harry spread a map of the city on the table.  
  
"The death eaters have been in there for nearly ten minutes, enough time for them to spread throughout the city. We'll started from the city's edge and move in. When we've driven them all into a concentrated mass near the center we'll portkey into the city's center and cast an advanced stunning spell. (Which could blast through almost any shield and knocked someone out until they were awoken with the enervate spell) With two hundred or so agents it should clear the city of death eaters and stunt he muggles so their memories can be modified. The Ministry's have been contacted; we can expect seven hundred Ministry wizards form all over the world within a half hour. They've got a plan for memory modification; we'll help them do most of it but we'll leave it to them to hutn out every last muggle." He explained, marking stations for refugee centers, prisoner-holding stations, where apparition wards should be set up, and where the Order of the Phoenix agents would start.  
  
**  
  
Screams and thick smoke filled the air high building rose around, most burning steadily. A few lay, in bits and pieces, everywhere on the ground. Debris chunks the size of houses, the top of some skyscraper. Harry flew overhead on broomstick, invisible. Spotting a pack of dementors he dove, two Broom Brigadiers following him down.  
  
"Rahimvar! Stupefy! Aristan!" Crack! Two death eaters went flying twenty feet through the air, spinning wildly. "Expeliarmus!" the stunned death eater's wand flew to his hand. Harry went up and into a loop, coming down ropes leaped form his wand, wrapping themselves around two death eaters. A raise of his hand brought their wands to him.  
  
Harry spun and dove, lighting crackled, death eaters screamed. A sudden coldness in Harry's mind warned him of approaching dementors, a large crowd of them.  
  
"Take care of those people! I'll get rid of the dementors!" Harry called, the other two signaled to show they had heard and dove to the twenty or so people the death eaters had trapped. Harry soared up higher, a spell shot past him. He twisted and rolled, falling from his broom, landing on it again twenty feet lower. A quick blasting spell set the death eater blasting straight through a brick wall.  
  
Harry sighted the dementors, nearly fifty of them, just ahead crossing a street, which was filled with fainting muggles in cars and on the sidewalks.  
  
"Expecto Patronum Magnus!" Thunder boomed and a huge, semi-transparent, silvery Royal Aaron leaped from Harry's hands. The gigantic creatures roared and attacked the dementors. Harry dove, landing lightly on the sidewalk.  
  
"Accio!" Nearly a hundred muggles came flying towards him and landed about him, all unconscious from the effects of the dementors. A squadron of Broom Brigade fighters flew down and began to apparate them to the refugee station on the city outskirts. Harry left, levitating another hundred or so muggles as he did and flying off, taking them to the second refugee station.  
  
Craaack! With a great snapping and crackling one of the tall buildings swayed dangerously. A blast of red light at its base, with a groaning sound it collapsed, leaning towards Harry and the muggles, steel beams splintered and sprung out of place. Harry concentrated, he'd never taken this many muggles by teleportation before, but there was no way out. With a slash of light followed by a deafening boom and rumbling they all vanished.  
  
Harry left again; having gotten the muggles safely to the refugee station he now reentered the city on foot with the silver patrol.  
  
"Fan formation!" Agents sprang into a fan formation, Harry taking the far left. The smaller building in front of them blew up as death eaters fired dark spells into it. The agents and Harry were forced to put up shield charms to avoid flying rubble. Then they ran ahead, Miranda leading the patrol and blasting rubble out of their way. The death eaters fled. The agents split into pairs, each pair picking out a death eater to track down. They would keep up the chase until they captured, killed, or lost the death eater. It was a tactical fighting arrangement that Harry had implemented in the Order, and it worked like a charm.  
  
Harry went off on his own, following the sense in his mind that was the darkness of the death eaters. He ignored most of them, picking out Inner Circle members to chase.  
  
Harry raced down the street, dodging in between parked cars, and into the building.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" The killing curse leaped form a wand to his left. He dropped and rolled under it, and continued rolling down the hallway. Coming to his feet at the corner he pressed his back against the wall. Tapping the wall with his wand and using a silent spell he made it transparent. The death eater was on the other side.  
  
"Kundinbaq!" With a huge whoooom! The wall dissolved away under the contorting spell.  
  
"Grakizan! Stupefy!" The death eater shouted as he leaped out of hiding and attacked. Harry dodged both skillfully.  
  
"Sethral! Aritumos!" Harry dodged the first and sent the other right back at the caster, who was so shocked at Harry's being able to turn the dark curse back upon him that he almost didn't dodge in time.  
  
"Stupefy!" This time he didn't doge in time and fell to the floor with a thump. Harry pulled a portkey from his pocket and placed it on the death eater's chest along with his wand, he tapped the portkey twice with his own wand and the death eater vanished.  
  
Harry whirled and ducked into the shadows and ran down an alley, a blinding light flared, he leaped out of the way, turning two flips down the alley and landing, crouched, wand outstretched, ready to fight.  
  
"Crucio!" A voice rang out, Harry leaped forward and ducked the curse, lighting crackled form his palm. The death eater screamed as his wand blew up. He drew and knife and leaped shouting at Harry. Harry whirled and struck out, his foot hitting the man's leg out form under him as he landed, his left hand grabbing the others' knife hand and holding the knife away form them. He punched him hard with his right fist, the blow sent the man staggering into the wall, as he staggered Harry dug his fingers into his wrist, the knife fell, Harry kicked it away and launched himself at the death eater. The first punch went to his stomach, Harry leaned back and then kicked him in the head, sending him spinning and falling to the floor.  
  
Harry had to give the death eater credit for his endurance, the wizard shakily straightened and charged. Harry leaped to meet him and dealt him a blow to the jaw, kneed him in the gut, and punched the side of his head, followed by another blow to the left eye and a kick to the chest, the snap of breaking bone was audible as the death eater staggered and sagged to the ground.  
  
Harry sent him back to the group collecting prisoners, then explosions from a large intersection were heard and he took off at a run.  
  
The crowd of death eaters, about a dozen of them, was battling furiously with Order Agents. As Harry sprinted form his alley he slipped into the shadows to watch fro a moment. Four other agents appeared from a building to his left, Harry ran over to them. The five ran around behind the death eaters and attacked.  
  
Harry raised one hand concentrated on the street underneath the death eaters. With a grounding and rumbling sound the pavement curled up in front of them, loose chunks of earth lifted and flung themselves at the death eaters. Harry made a quick gesture, a parked car lifted into the air and was flung at the death eaters, who dodged frantically to get out of the way, tow of them being crushed under it.  
  
Spells leaping form their wands the five attacked, the other four spread out in twos to the sides, Harry attacked straight on. Trading spells with the death eaters, his powerful shield charms keeping him and the few muggles about safe. Two more agents came running to joint he fight, Harry took a brief respite to plan an attack. Harry looked up and flicked his wand at the brick building beside them, the roof caved in, nearly a ton of bricks and shale from the roof fell into the street, following Harry's wand movements flying at the death eaters, the shale pieces spinning wildly like Frisbees.  
  
Harry signaled frantically to the other agents to move back, they fled, alerting the others as they went. Harry made a furious movement with his wand, concentrating hard on the spell. The rubble about the death eaters exploded, screams of pain rang out as shale and brick slivers embedded themselves in the death eaters, order agents created a barrier about the scene, allowing no one to escape. Harry shot a powerful stunning spell at the staggering death eaters and the others attacked with him, in moments all of the death eaters were down.  
  
The death eaters had been drive to the city's center, now the Order Agents teleported, or port keyed into the city's center where they had planned to meet. Two hundred and seventy of the most dedicated and powerful wizards and witches on the planet gathered in the mass. The Agents all stood around a circle drawn on the ground in white chalk, about twenty-five feet in diameter. Harry moved to the center and tossed a tennis ball sized orb of light into the middle. It hovered, four feet above the ground, a target to aim their spells at. Sirius spoke moved into the circle as Harry left.  
  
"On the count of three everyone cast the advanced stunning spell, Stupefy Vastak, at the orb, then apparate out as quickly as you possibly can, apparate to your patrol's station on the city rim and set up barrier and shield spells. Spread out so that you don't miss any part. Keep those shields up until the spells have dissipated. One, Two, Three!"  
  
"STUPEFY VASTAK!" Two hundred and seventy voices yelled. The red spells blasted form wand points and hit the orb, all the order Agents apparated out as the spells all rebounded off each other in every direction, some even went straight up into the air.  
  
The blast of red light rippled outward at an amazing speed, but when it reached the city limits it hit the barrier set up by the Order and Ministry wizards, and rebounded off, sweeping into the city and ricocheting off each other. They were unavoidable and every person in the city was hit in just a few moments.  
  
It was six hours before anyone else where it he world got word of what had happened to Beijing. It was not destroyed; merely the victim of one of the largest terrorist attacks yet. B dropped on the city by terrorists' planes, and others set up before hand and triggered to go off at the same time were blamed. Damage costs exceeded 30 billion, which was a lot less than it would have been had not the wizards and witches of the Ministries and Order of the Phoenix repaired and modified much of the damage.  
  
**  
  
Harry returned to Hogwarts two days after leaving, completely exhausted. Even though the muggles had had their memories modified inquisitive investigators needed to be taken care of, and he had spent hours helping to heal the injured. The Order had lost nearly a score of agents in the Battle for Beijing, as it was already being called. He hurried down the corridor to his rooms, hoping no one noticed him.  
  
"Harry! Harry!" Someone called, Harry turned, Ira came sprinting around the corner at a dead run, nearly colliding with him. Hermione and Draco followed a few seconds later.  
  
"What is it?" Harry asked, curious as to why Ira was grinning like a maniac.  
  
"We - figured - it out!" She gasped.  
  
"Figured what out?"  
  
"That prophecy and numbers, come on." Hermione said, Harry, confused, followed them into his rooms and sat down on the bed. Ira shoved a piece of paper under his nose and Harry took it.  
  
The young must grow old, Whilst the old grow older, And cowards will shrink, As the bold grow bolder. Courage may blossom in quiet hearts, For who can tell where bravery starts?  
  
Truth is a song, oft lying unsung, Some mother bird, protecting her young, Those who lay down their lives for friends, The echo rolls onward, it seldom ends.  
  
Who is that one, loyal and brave? Who never turned and ran, but stayed? This is a warrior born not made! The warrior is one of wisdom Living in peace, aye many a season, Calm in life, sound in reason.  
  
Peace shall lie over land and sea, Until the great evil arrives, With a wicked horde, Driving a warrior to pick up his sword, The challenger rings then, straight and fair, Justice is with us, beware. Beware!  
  
1.4.6 1.2.20 1.2.3 4.6.1 1.2.3 1.3.19 1.1.8  
  
2.2.11 2.1.8 4.4.1 1.1.3 3.1.11  
  
"Look at the numbers! They match up with the letter perfectly!" Hermione said excitedly. Harry blinked, to tired to understand what she was so excited about, and then he looked lower on the page.  
  
1.4.6  
  
Verse 1 Line 4 Letter 6  
  
B  
  
He paused, his tired brain having trouble switching from healing mode onto whatever was going on.  
  
"Ira you explain." Draco said, Ira launched into an explanation.  
  
"The numbers are like coordinates. The first number is the verse, the second is the line, and the third is the letter. Each series of numbers lets you find one letter. The series of numbers go in groups; that's how you know what the word is. The first set of numbers, 1.4.6 1.2.20 1.2.3 4.6.1 1.2.3 1.3.19 1.1.8 Give you the word Beijing!" She said excitedly, Harry paused, looking it over, then it clicked.  
  
"The prophecy is meaningless, what matters are the numbers! Listen Harry Beijing was just attacked. Don't you think that it's a little odd that the city this prophecy.riddle really, names Beijing, then Beijing gets attacked? This prophecy is telling us where the death eaters will attack next!" She said breathlessly. "I've already done the next series of numbers, 2.2.11 2.1.8 4.4.1 1.1.3 3.1.11  
  
It comes out to be Baden, wherever that is."  
  
"You guys are geniuses! Bloody brilliant!" Harry said, leaping up and hugging her, "this is great we'll know exactly where they're going to attack. Baden is in Austria isn't it?"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Long chapter, sorry about Ira's taking Hermione's place as the group genius a bit. Please review! 


	20. Chapter 20 The Second Member of the Eigh...

Chapter 20  
  
"I'm too old for this, why me?" Dumbledore asked Harry once he'd gotten over the fact that he had just been chosen by the second skull as one of the Eight and now had the power of a fire elemental. Dumbledore was standing by the window, looking out into the whiteness, it had started snowing at precisely midnight, Harry had been practicing a bit of weather magic by night lately. It was interesting, but draining in the extreme.  
  
"Too old? Hmm.I guess I forget to tell everyone that the average life span of one of the Eight is significantly greater than any other's? And that the Atlantians had longer life spans in general didn't I?" Harry said, not looking up from the paper he was writing, he was using a computer to do so, they were so much better and he didn't get ink on his fingers. No one in the room said a word; he looked up to find them all looking at him.  
  
"You work too hard." Miranda finally said, "give it a break, you've been working non-stop on the running of the school, the skulls, Atlantis legal systems, life-style, magical abilities, animals and plants, and their technology, and this war with Voldemort, do you ever stop working?"  
  
"When I sleep, when I eat." Harry replied, pausing in his typing to save the pages he'd written.  
  
"When you eat you're thinking about new research methods and uses for the information, when you sleep you're watching death eater meetings and working out war plans." Miranda responded, Harry dropped his mental shields.  
  
Kid's got too much responsibility for someone so young. Alanna.  
  
Does he even know how to stop working anymore? Sarlan  
  
Workaholic, puts Granger to shame. Severus  
  
The price to pay for being a genius, I'd try to stop him, but we need him and that brilliant mind of his too much. This form Miranda  
  
It's sad, he's only 17, he should be worried about other things, like girls, not the future of an entire species. this last was Sirius, Harry pulled up the shields again, noticing that he could feel a tumult of sympathy, his empathic abilities had been slowly getting stronger.  
  
"I like to be useful, when this is over, Voldemort is gone and.ah.other things have settled down.then I will have plenty of time to relax." Harry said, stopping himself from going too far just in time, he hoped that no one would ask about the 'other things' and just assume he meant Atlantis, which he did, just not the stuff they would be thinking of. "Besides I'm not working with the elemental bloods anymore, it's all in specialized storage, all six hundred gallons that I managed to get. And I've stopped my research on that potion to reverse insanity caused by the cruciatus curse. I've got basically no schoolwork, seeing as I'm only taking Transfiguration, Charms, and Herbology. (Having passed his NEWTs for everything else with astounding grades) I'm not a part of the new battle training system, I stopped training with the Order Recruits when school started, I'm not working on my fire gazing anymore and my powers have finally stabilized. basically, so the UAD has no reason to waste yet more time on them." Harry protested when they all remained silent.  
  
"And the Unusual Abilities Department is throwing a fit over that latest change in your powers." Sirius said, Harry winced, remembering all to clearly the magical and muggle tests he had been put through by that branch of the Order of the Phoenix, which had ended with no real results. It was time to change the topic.  
  
"Albus, Miranda, we'll have to find time to start testing and training you with your elements soon. And I'm sure that the public will want to see those skulls, now that they're no longer dangerous. I'm heading out this weekend to retrieve the next one."  
  
"How do you know where it is?" Albus asked him.  
  
"Well there are eight skulls, so I made a three dimensional eight pointed star, placing the star's center at the center of the earth and lining up two of the points with the locations we found the first two skulls at I can see where I might expect the others to be. The SPD is going with me, I've written to the Ministry's of the countries we'll be traveling too, and they've sent back replies on any dark activity in the areas we'll be going into. If they are properly informed then it should be safe." Harry explained, pointing to a globe sitting on a stool. It had small black toothpicks sticking out where the skulls had been found, and blue ones marking the sites where the other six skulls should be.  
  
"Ingenious as always Harry," Albus said, looking up at the clock he continued, "and it is time for dinner so we'll be going, Miranda, Sirius, Sarlan, Alanna, will you be staying?" The four rose to leave through the fire.  
  
"No, the Austrian Ministry needs help planning for the attack on Baden, since we still have no clue when it's scheduled, and we have a few prisoners to interrogate about that, good night." Miranda said as she stepped into the fire and vanished.  
  
Harry and Albus arrived late at dinner, but no one questioned it, it was all too common for some of the teachers or students to be late these days. Students coming in to the dinning hall late, eyes red from crying over lost family, staff members leaving suddenly for days, Order of the Phoenix agents arriving and leaving and guarding the school, it was all commonplace now at Hogwarts. Christmas break came in two weeks, Satan's unrelenting attacks came every few days. Harry hadn't gone more than four days at a time without ending up at the Fortress healing, planning, or fighting since Halloween.  
  
Harry chose to sit with a group of first and second years, Ira joined them shortly, the younger students immediately bombarded both with questions about the war.  
  
"Easy there, one at a time!" Ira said hurriedly, one of the first years went first.  
  
"What happened at the Salem Wizards Academy?" Every student over fifth year in hearing range winced at memories. The attack on the Salem Wizards Academy had been only four days before, and with the Order spread thin, the aurors annihilated last year, the Hit Wizards slow to rebuild their demolished ranks, the older students of Hogwarts had joined the fight. They had had the best training offered to anyone, and they were well organized. They never went into the really dangerous situations, but the Salem Wizards Academy had been an exception. Vivid mental images of the burning school, rubble falling about, horrible screams. Death eaters surrounding the building, curses, hexes, jinxes, dark magic flying everywhere. Spells rebounding off shields, or blasting through, horribly injured people fleeing, Harry clamped down on the memory.  
  
"We're not ready to talk about that yet Tracey, and most of us never will be," Harry said softly, remembering vividly two fleeing students being cut down by killing curses before eh could reach them, the scars on his arms from deflecting the killing curses throbbed, nearly one hundred and fifty young men dead from that attack, the survivors going to the Salem Witches Academy, one Hogwarts students dead, Anne Rashire.  
  
"How are your arms?" Ira asked him as the younger students, sensing that they weren't going to get anything from the older students, began chattering softly.  
  
"They ache, your leg?"  
  
"Not as bad as yours, it's completely healed," she replied, picking at her food. Harry heard soft sobs and looked over to the Hufflepuff table where a fourth year was crying, a letter and a black envelope in her hand, the black owl that had brought the death letter just flying out the window. Ira caught his attention again, "looks like Dumbledore's got an announcement." Harry turned and looked at the head table as a very tired looking headmaster rose to speak.  
  
"I have just received word that Satan has just led his army into Brazil, Voldemort remains in the shadows. All students over fifth year will be going to South America to help evacuate and organize defenses and attack plans. We leave tomorrow morning." He sat down again, the hall was silent, and then people began talking softly again.  
  
"He's trying to take over the whole continent? That's a little ambitious even for him." Ira said in a sort of horrified amazement.  
  
"It makes sense, South America has the smallest population of wizards and witches, no one knows why, and he has supporters in their Ministries, many of them. But yes a whole continent seems a little over confident. Hogwarts will be taking in all the refugee students, the battle training will stop, there just isn't time anymore. Some of the teachers form the South American schools will come here as well, they're building another building to add to the school." Harry said softly, envisioning a rather grim future.  
  
"What fun" Ira said sarcastically, "what's happening in Austria?"  
  
"Little so far, a lot of talk, enchantments are being put up all over Baden." Harry said, and went pale a brief wave of nausea gripped him and his scar tingled.  
  
"You alright?" Ira asked, lowering her voice so as not to catch the other students' attention.  
  
"No, I-I think it's another prophecy." Harry whispered, his vision swam and he fought off whatever image might have been brewing.  
  
"How long do you have?" Ira asked, carefully looking around. Harry tried to respond but an image was forming before his eyes coupled with burning pain from the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. Then the image of an Order Agent, Blue Patrol, came into being, just as the agent's head was blown off, blood sprayed everywhere.  
  
Ira winced as she heard a faint rumble of thunder, Harry was either highly distressed, in danger and getting ready to fight, or really ticked off. His chalk white face and blurred green eyes giving no hint as to which it was.  
  
"Not long," Harry finally replied softly, he closed his eyes and concentrated of long deep breaths, then opened his eyes and focused on his dinner intensely, pushing the vision aside.  
  
Ira tapped at the buttons on her watch, Ron, Draco, and Hermione all felt the watches grow cold and then warm, then cold and warm, cold and warm, signaling an emergency. All of them glanced at their watches while still eating, hoping no one would notice, as words replaced the digital numbers.  
  
Leave the hall after Harry and I do, he's going into another prophecy, Ira.  
  
Glancing around each of the other three tapped the return code to show they had gotten the message.  
  
As dinner drew to a close, and Harry's condition worsened, Ira and he left the hall, following a group of other seventh years, a few moments later the other three followed.  
  
Harry sank down into the couch before the fireplace, and immediately felt his stomach roll and his vision haze over at the sight of the red/orange dancing flames, he looked away with and stifled groan, jaw clenching, concentrating hard on the door. Ira came in and sat down next to him, giving him a worried glance.  
  
"You're sure you're okay for this? You look as pale as a ghost."  
  
"Yeah I'll be fine, but whatever it is it isn't good news." He said, and shuddered as another wave of pain emanated from the scar, which glowed a dull reddish color.  
  
The door opened and Ron and Hermione came in, looking worried, they both sat down on the other couch. A few moments later Draco entered and sat down in the armchair, Ira got up and got some paper and a pen form his desk, Harry waited until she was seated again before getting up and moving to kneel before the fire.  
  
The flames leaped and blurred before his eyes, fading into a swirl of color, he could hear the blood pounding in his ears as he concentrated. Then everything turned dark, the swirling stopped.  
  
Harry found himself looking up at the night sky, dark purple/black, suddenly one of the stars flashed gold, drawing his eye to the speck of light.Atlantis.Atlantis orbited that star. He could see the faint glow of a torch to his right and turned. There was a group of people standing in a group around a huge piece of parchment. He could feel magic in the air and saw three people glowing green and whispering the words of a spell as they transferred the image of the night sky onto the parchment. Harry instantly understood, they were making the star maps that covered the ceilings of the caves in which the skulls were hidden.  
  
The fact that he was seeing something that had taken place over a million years past astonished him, that it was all so clear visually, even if he couldn't hear it, was shocking. Harry tried as hard as he could to memorize which star Atlantis was and which ones were near it and their formation. The vision faded, now he was presented with the globe again, a flash of bright red light on it, Harry leaned over a touched the red light on the globe, and it was so hot it made his finger hurt. Then he saw a skull seated upon its pedestal in a chamber, it seemed to be calling to him. Then Harry began to hear words echoing through his mind, it was his own voice, but so far away, the skull faded. Harry closed his eyes and concentrated on drawing the voice to him, there was a sudden flash of pain across his scar and he winced, but the voice never stopped speaking.  
  
Harry's eyes flew open and he gasped and leaned back from the fire, the flames were just ordinary flames again.  
  
"Harry? You back with us?" Ira asked when he didn't move, she squeezed his shoulder lightly, and Harry blinked, coming out of his dazed state.  
  
"What did I say?" Hermione looked at the paper Ira had been writing on and read it aloud.  
  
1.1.1 1.3.1 2.1.16 3.6.2 4.1.6  
  
"Do you have a copy of the prophecy?" She asked.  
  
"In the desk, on the right, second drawer." Harry said absently, there was something else, he'd been trying to remember something, something important. Memory surged, Atlantis! He leaped to his feet and ran to his lab, the star map would be on the ceiling in the chamber room.  
  
"Harry? What is it?" Ron called as the door shut, "okay whatever, Hermione?"  
  
"Just a sec," she said, figuring out the letters using the prophecy. "Got it! Talas!"  
  
"Wherever that is." Ron said, "and there is probably more than one."  
  
"I can't think of any place by that name, come on, we'll have to go through the maps in the library." Hermione said, getting up and heading for the door she paused and turned back. "Do you think he's alright?" She asked, gesturing to the door Harry had left through.  
  
"I'll wait here, you go to the library, he probably just had another sudden stroke of genius," Ira said reassuringly, the other three left quickly.  
  
  
  
I'm really sorry this took so long, I've been really busy (my cat had surgery twice in one month and I've been caring for him) And I'm having a bit of a problem with writers block on this story. Please review? 


	21. Chapter 21 Invasion of Brazil

Chapter 21  
  
"Why Brazil? Why? He's got the Falkland Isles, why not Chile or Argentina?" Hermione asked Harry as they hurried out of the muggle shelter. Muggles fleeing the fighting were being taken by plane, car, bus, and boat to huge shelters set up around South America. Some of the more trusted students had visited one to resupply it with fresh foods and such without anyone noticing. Magical help had so far been a huge lifesaver, but now they had been called to evacuate Brazil's only school of magic. "Brazil doesn't make any sense."  
  
"It's Satan, not Voldemort, Satan NEVER makes any sense." Harry said, they looked around then walked straight into a wall, and through it to the magical part of the shelter.  
  
"Harry, Hermione!" Ron called, waving to them from a group of witches and wizards, they ran through the crowded courtyard to him, "we're with the next group Hermione, Harry you're on your own. Are you using your animagus?"  
  
"Yeah, good luck guys, I'll see you later, say hi to Ira if you see her."  
  
"Sure thing, don't scare anyone to death!" Ron called after him as Harry ran out of the buildings looking for a more open space to transform.  
  
Hundreds of people gasped and screamed as the huge glowing Royal Aaron suddenly sprang into being not far away. The golden beast stretched its huge wings, and roared, glad to be free from its long imprisonment in a human body. The wolfish head looked at the awe-struck gathered people for a moment, then it bowed with a sweep of one great wing and leaped skyward. Powerful wings fanning huge gusts of air down on them and made the trees shake.  
  
Harry soared for a few moment, high above everything, just below the clouds, reveling in the feeling of flight in this form. Finally he remembered what he was supposed to be doing, a vicious snarl and a crash of lighting and the Royal Aaron was gone.  
  
The Brazilian school of magic was a very old castle-like building, built of pale gray stone, though not nearly so magnificent as Hogwarts nor as large. The death eaters hadn't gotten here yet, and students were being taken to a large shelter for magic-folk by portkey. The younger students had already left, the older students had gathered outside. When the Hogwarts students arrived they paired up with them to set up defensive spells and enchantments about the school and neighboring towns. The school's staff had mostly gone with the younger students or to help the Order of the Phoenix fight the invaders.  
  
Needless to say Harry's presence cause a significant amount of shock. The Royal Aaron appeared in a flash above the school and landed on the grounds. The Hogwarts students in the school had been waiting for this, all of them began the enchantment as soon as Harry appeared.  
  
"Aro nulea shatu," a hundred or so voices spoke, the Brazilian students caught on and added their power to the spells.  
  
Harry stared hard at the castle, slowly drawing a web of golden light across it in his mind, covering every piece of it. The spells anchored itself to the school where the students were touching their wands to the walls. Harry roared, a fiery glow surrounding him, slowly the light peeled away from the Aaron and moved to surround the school, then vanished. Harry leaped skyward again, and searched for Miranda's mind.  
  
Here Harry, teleport to this location. An image flashed through his mind, trees burning, spells flashing everywhere. Harry caught the link and followed it.  
  
When he got there he promptly transformed, before he'd even appeared fully, into a Caracal. It was a form he had only recently fully mastered, it had taken over a week.  
  
Harry raced silently through the thick underbrush, careful to avoid the fighting until he found out what exactly was going on. Skirting death eaters blundering through the bushes and Order agents, watching as the two teams played a deadly game of hide and seek. Finding his way up a small hill he leaped up into a tree's branches and examined the sky, searching. Finally he saw a squad from the Broom Brigade above and became human again. Pulling out the chain he always wore from under his shirt he unclipped the tiny broom that hung from it, made to look like a small charm, and enlarged it with a silent spell into his Firebolt.  
  
Leaping on Harry shot skywards like a rocket, the Squad slowed for him until he drew level with them.  
  
"Hey Harry." Victor called, signaling his group to speed up again.  
  
"Hey, what's the situation right now?"  
  
"A few hundred vampires, about a thousand dementors, sixty death eaters according to Caitlin Snape, they're mostly trying to keep the five hundred thousand or so muggles from getting near the dementors."  
  
"The Brazilian military?"  
  
"All of Satan's forces are being confined to the sea-side portion of the country. The Brazilian military has set up a block all the way from Belem to Salvador. Magical reinforcements are in hiding about the line as well. Venezuela has sent in ten thousand troops, but they're poorly trained. Argentina's sending aid should arrive around early evening." He paused as they all looked up, seeing something shooting across the sky, followed by three others.  
  
"Those weren't airplanes!" Harry shouted through the wind, they were flying in a close formation so they could hear each other, but they were going over a hundred miles an hour, and no one heard him. Harry pulled out his wand and sent a quick enchantment around them, a bubble spell so that they could still fly and hear each other without the wind.  
  
"Those thing's were not airplanes, they looked like missiles!" A sudden red fireball lit up on the horizon.  
  
"The United States is currently obliterating all of Satan's ships; they've brought in some heavy duty long range stuff, it was probably one of theirs, there's a convoy heading for Maceio. There's two Air Craft Carriers headed this way and a nuclear sub, I can't remember where they're all from, and the U.N. is sending ten thousand aircraft from various nations."  
  
"What sort of ships does Satan have?"  
  
"He's got nearly a hundred well-armed vessels out there. Biological and chemical missiles, and probably nuclear ones as well. Satan's taken out the cities of Fortaleza, Natal, and Recife; I mean every living person in those cities. There isn't any debris left larger than your cloak, bombed the heck out of them. Survivors estimates is only about one out of three hundred. His forces are heading for Maceio; we're to meet up with the rest of the Broom Brigade at an old stone fort twenty miles south of it." Harry nodded, trying to take this all in, magical aid would be needed along the blockade. People fleeing from the blockaded area would need to be cleared to make sure none of Satan's forces got through, once that was done the muggles could handle Satan's non magic troops. The vampires and dementors would be a problem though.  
  
"Fly in closer and join hands, I'll take you all to the fort then go look for the other squads!" He called out, the Squad flew in closer and joined hands around him, Harry took and deep breathe and brought all his will power into the spell. With a crack of thunder and a flash of lightning they were all gone.  
  
**  
  
Harry walked quickly down the hallway a pair of guards outside the door nodded to him as he entered the meeting room where the Phoenix Council was meeting.  
  
"We have got to get rid of the dementors before they get to the next large town or city." Sirius said, dragging a hand through messed hair, he looked like he hadn't slept in days.  
  
"An aerial attack, everyone who can do a patronus, that should get rid of them." Harry suggested, taking one of the remaining seats in around the table. "We could try to get the International Quidditch teams to fly with those who can do a patronus but cannot fly well."  
  
"That might just work, I'll get the team lists and send an agent to speak to each individually in person. Can't trust the floo and we're not to sure about the Order's link." Miranda said, she vanished abruptly.  
  
"So far it feel secure, Satan cannot tap into the Order's link, and with the new improvements Voldemort should not be able to either. Excellent idea Harry, it will take a few hours to coordinate. Margaret where are those helicopters? They were supposed to start air-lifting people out a half-hour ago." Sirius asked, Margaret was talking with two aids over a large communications crystal.  
  
"They'll be on site in ten minutes Lord Phoenix, do we have any way of assuring death eaters don't attack them?"  
  
"There aren't many death eaters left, only about a score or so. Harry do you mind seeking them out and getting us their locations?" Harry nodded and left the room. Down the hallway he found an empty room with a fireplace, an idle wave of one hand started the fire and he conjured up an armchair in front of it and a small table. Searching through a pocket he found a folded up map of Brazil, calling mentally for the dark power-stone, it appeared beside him. Drawing power from himself, slowly sinking inwardly, he drew on the power of his scar to help him locate where the dark forces were massing.  
  
**  
  
Harry looked up to his left, a score of fliers appeared, gripping a portkey. The full Broom Brigade was assembling behind him in full formation. Quidditch teams from all over the world were being port keyed in to the rendezvous point. Anyone who could do a patronus was airborne and should be getting here soon. Most witches and wizards couldn't do a patronus. Only about ten percent of the total magical population could, but almost all of them would be here for the attack.  
  
Three hundred witches and wizards filled the air about him, Harry looked around as Victor and Oliver swooped down, followed closely by other squad leaders.  
  
"Okay, we're ready to attack, everyone's here." Victor said, looking eager to get into battle.  
  
"There's a little under a thousand dementors, the combined force of so many patronus's should kill most of them. The Order agents who aren't airborne are linking with those who are, transferring more power to them." Oliver said, Harry nodded, he could feel the connections in the air around him.  
  
"The dementors will flee our attack, the more land they are chased over the more people who's souls they'll steal to draw power from. They need to be contained and exterminated." He suggested.  
  
"All our fighters are in a half circle, we can extend it further into nearly a full circle, but what's to keep them form fleeing into the open space?" Oliver asked.  
  
"I'll fly over to the open area, once you've attacked they'll all turn to that space to flee, I'll block them then." Harry said, "get back to your stations and wait for the Phoenix, he'll be joining us shortly to lead the attack." The others flew off, Harry turned toward away from the Order agents and called down lighting, and with a crash he vanished.  
  
Sirius and the Gold patrol apparated in a few moments later, already informed of Harry's plan they took the lead ahead of the others.  
  
We'll wait for Miranda's signal, she'll let us know when all muggles have been accounted for so that none will remember this fight. Harry nodded, scanning the darkness below him, the Blue and Orange patrols were down there along with fifty volunteers, place memory charms on muggles and moving them away. His friends would be down there somewhere helping, all evacuation efforts were being concentrated on the area the dementors and Order agents were likely to occupy. A few hundred people flying through the air shooting sliver creatures wasn't exactly normal for muggles.  
  
Attack. Silver erupted into being all along the far horizon, Harry could feel the coldness as the masses of dementors fled. Led by a gigantic silvery-gold phoenix two hundred patronus's leaped through the air at the dementors, followed by the fighters, shooting curses and more patroni.  
  
The dementors came at him in a surge, Harry flew lower and waited, he had to time this just right. If only he could use the white power-stone, but it was serving another use right now, and was useless to him. The dementors were coming closer; soon he could make out the individual fliers as they zoomed about. Finally the fleeing dementors were almost right below him, Harry raised both hands skyward, heavy beats of thunder rolled through the air, lightning crackled down to his hands, suddenly exploding outward in the form of a dozen patronus's, each with he power to kill any dementor they touched. Harry leaped off his broom.  
  
With a feral roar the Royal Aaron appeared, shining brightly in the dark night, spells would conceal it from the sight of any watching muggles. Harry grappled briefly with the Aaron's wild mind, slowly controlling the raging beast until it subsided. Feather soft silky glistening fur rippled over powerful bulging muscle. Large pointed ears, scarred form past battles, flicked about. The long graceful tail hairs grew firm and thick as they filled with poison, the barbs along them sticking out just a bit. The great silver claws unsheathed themselves, gleaming, and razor sharp with needle-like points. The wings, dragon-like but with a thin coating of small downy feathers fanned skyward, the claws on the wings glowing silver. The black nose twisted, smelling then cold dementors, the fried ozone in the air from the lightning, and the scent of the patroni and humans in the air.  
  
The Royal Aaron growled, a terrifying rumbling that turned into a vicious snarl as the jaws opened, saliva turning poisonous, huge sharp canines glistening, ready to inject poison into it prey.  
  
The huge, wolfish head looked down at the dementors, with a dragon-like roar of fury it leaped at them, tendril of white-hot power leaping out around it, a huge paw swept at them like a cats. Dementors were sent flying through the air, a huge wing came down and brushed them back towards the advancing patroni. Lightning blasted through the air, frying the dementors as it hit. Two, then three lighting bolts came together above the Aaron's head, Harry concentrated on the happiest thought she could find, a dozen more white and gold patroni leaped form the lightning to attack.  
  
The Aaron waded through the dementors, its tail smashing them about, jaws macerating dozens at a time, not caring if it stepped on any, its wings hurling them through the air. Fire from its jaws sending them up in flames. Above the Order of the Phoenix continued its attack, targeting any dementors who fled.  
  
  
  
**  
  
Harry led his group through the crowds; his unit of volunteer helpers was going to give magical aid in evacuating people. Passing downed power lines he signaled to them to keep the muggles at bay while he and a few others set them back up again. At this point there wasn't any real full out fighting the Order of the Phoenix could do. The thing with the dementors had been a complete rout; none of the dementors had escaped. It had taken Harry nearly a half-hour to calm down the Royal Aaron in him to a suitable level; he had not counted on having such a blood-crazed reaction to the dementors in his animagus form.  
  
It's time to get out of here, the muggles can handle the rest. Harry looked around, surprised.  
  
Good God, the destruction is endless!? Harry's head snapped around, he blinked, then closed his eyes, his shields were falling, he was reading minds. The stress of battle had caused many people's blocks to fail, and the muggles had none.  
  
Got to call HQ, we'll need more bandages. We're going to need more blood donations. Hospitals' just about full. Finally they got the roads cleared! Ambulance has a flat tire. Need to be refueled soon. We're going to need more oxygen. Damn it, he dead.  
  
When the next shift coming in? Something has to be done about these terrorists.  
  
Harry shook his head and stopped, leaning against a tree. His mind hurt, thoughts pressed in, too fast too hear them all. His shields faltered further under the press of unblocked minds, he was tired and strained. He hadn't rested in nearly two days.  
  
Miranda?  
  
Harry?  
  
I'm going back to the Fortress, my shields can't take much more, I'll be at the Healing Center here in Brazil in three hours.  
  
All right, bring your whole team back, you've been in there for six hours.  
  
"All right team, we've been order to report back to the Fortress, good job everyone. Gather around and I'll take us back." The group gathered around him, Harry gritted his teeth against the press of their minds as he teleported them to the Order's base.  
  
  
  
**  
  
"Harry?" Harry swam back toward consciousness whatever that was, "Harry come on, time to wake up." Was that Ira talking?  
  
"Harry if you don't wake up I'll just have to take this opportunity to dye your hair purple." Harry's eyes snapped open, before he could move Draco was hovering in the air, slowly rotating diagonally. "Hey, uh, didn't mean it.hehe." Harry dropped him onto the other couch. Sitting up he checked his watch, he'd been out for almost exactly three hours, perfect.  
  
"Prof. McGonagal sent us to wake you, she said they really need our help in the Healing Center." Hermione said, Harry blinked hard, then started to chuckle. "What's so funny?"  
  
"You, you're still reading, that book is going to become an extra appendage." Ron snorted, trying to hide his laughter, Hermione scowled at him.  
  
"I'm researching some new healing spells."  
  
"I'd prefer to learn form the actual healers than form a book, books aren't always right, the Order healers are the best there are. With plenty of first-hand experience." Draco pointed out, Hermione sniffed, but she shut the book.  
  
"We'll spot off at Potter manor first, I need to gather some supplies there and fresh herbs and potion ingredients." Harry said, the others came to stand beside him and with a flash of light they vanished.  
  
**  
  
"Oh wow Harry, this place is incredible!" Ron said, staring around at Potter Manor in shock.  
  
"Thanks, come on, the store room are this way." Harry led them down some passages to one of the cellars. Here dried herbs and potions ingredients were stocked, he directed them to gather what they needed. Gady, Cobby, and Lismy all appeared suddenly with a series of pops. Hermione stared ta them, Harry signaled Ron to stop her if she started commenting on the house elves presence.  
  
"Hello Master Harry!" Cobby greeted him happily.  
  
"Hello Cobby, Gady, Lismy, do you think you could go and get tow or three bronze caldrons for us please?"  
  
"Of course Master Harry, is there anything else you need?" Lismy asked.  
  
"No thanks Lismy, that's all," with quick bows the three vanished.  
  
"So Harry, you have house elves." Hermione stated.  
  
"Don't even start Hermione." Hermione gave him a furious look, but she did keep quiet about it.  
  
Gathering everything they needed into the caldrons Harry teleported the five of them to the Healing Center in the Brazil.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Okay I'm not going to apologize for this taking so long; I don't spend ALL my life writing fanfiction. Expect the next update to come either this week or the week after. 


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